Class .JElSul 
 
 fopight N? 
 
 COFXBiGHr DEPOSm 
 
THE 
 
 MILITARY HISTORY 
 
 YATES COUNTY, N.Y., 
 
 COMPRISING A RECORD OF THE SERVICES RENDERED BY CITIZENS 
 
 OE THIS COUNTY IN THE ARMY AND NAVY, FROM THE 
 
 FOUNDATION OF THE GOVERNMENT 
 
 TO THE PRE.SENT TIME. 
 
 BY 
 
 WALTER WOLCOTT, 
 
 A MEMBER OF THE YATES COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 
 
 PENN VAN, N. v. 
 
 EXPRESS BOOK AND JOB PRINTING HOUSE, 
 1895. 
 
. V "t vv 
 
 Copyright, 1895, by 
 WALTER WOLCOTT. 
 
TO THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS OF THE LATE WAR 
 
 NOW RESIDING IN YATES COUNTY, THIS TESTIMONY TO THE 
 
 GRICAT SERVICE THEY RENDERED THE NATION 
 
 IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 THE following pages contain facts which are a part of the 
 annals of Yates County, and, as such, are of interest to 
 all intelligent residents, particularly to those who are veter- 
 ans of the Civil War. To the young and rising generation, 
 also, the facts herein related will be found valuable, both for 
 instruction and for reference. 
 
 It has been the object of the writer to produce a con- 
 densed history of certain military events in which citizens 
 of Yates County have been concerned. This county has, in 
 a military sense, a record alike grand and creditable. Many 
 of the early settlers were soldiers of the Revolution, and not 
 a few of the inhabitants of the region now included in our 
 county took an active part in the War of 1812. Among the 
 volunteers of the Mexican War, Yates County was to some 
 extent represented, and to a large extent among the soldiers 
 who fought in the War of 1861-'65 for the preservation of 
 the Union. 
 
 The enemy, to whom our soldiers in the last war were op- 
 posed, have been designated in contemporary histories and 
 newspapers as "rebels" — and so they were. Public opinion, 
 however, at the present day, seems to favor the designation 
 of "Federals" and "Confederates" as proper names for the 
 respective forces of the North and South. Such are they 
 called in American histories that have in late years appeared, 
 and as "Confederates" are the Southern troops mentioned 
 in this volume. 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 In the preparation of this work various authorities have 
 been consulted, and it will be observed that quotations have 
 been made from a number of publications, to which, in most 
 instances, credit has been given. It is not claimed that the 
 work is entirely exempt from those imperfections to which 
 works of this kind are liable. But the reading public will, 
 it is hoped, make some allowances for any shortcomings that 
 may appear in this the writer's first effort, in book form, in 
 historical composition. 
 
 Penn Yan, November, 1895. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Seaecas, a war-like tribe of the Six Nations— Red Jacket— Sir 
 William Johnson— Massacres at Wyoming and at Cherry Valley- 
 Invasion by the American Forces under General John Sullivan — 
 The Battle of Newtown— Destruction of an Indian Village within 
 the present limits of the town of Benton— Effects of the Invasion 
 on the Indians— Jemima Wilkinson, the " Universal Friend " — The 
 Friend's House in the town of Jerusalem used at the close of the 
 Civil War as a Soldiers' Home— James Parker and General William 
 Wall— Soldiers of the Revolution who settled in Yates County . 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Close of the Revolution- The Phelps and Gorham Purchase— Captain 
 Charles Williamson— The Genesee Country One Hundred Years 
 Ago— British Insolence— The War of 1812— Citizens of Yates County 
 Who Fought in this War— Organization of Yates County— The 
 War with Mexico— Soldiers of the War from Yates County— Re- 
 sults of the Mexican War 
 
 PART SECOND. 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Sentiment in Yates County before and during the War for the 
 Union 
 
 16 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 The Thirty-third Regiment of Infantry 35 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The First Regiment United States Sharpshooters— The Third, Twenty- 
 third, and Thirty-fourth Regiments, Infantry 47 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Forty-fourth Regiment of Infantry 51 
 
viii TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Seventy-sixth, Eighty-fifth, Ninety-seventh, One Hnndred and 
 Second, and One Hundred and Fifth Regiments, Infantry .... 57 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment of Infantry .... 63 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 The Eighth, Twentieth, and Twenty-second Regiments, Cavalry — The 
 Norfolk Brigade Baud— The Fifteenth and Fiftieth Regiments, En- 
 gineers 78 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 The One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment of Infantry 88 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The First Independent Battery —Battery B (Third Light Artillery)— 
 The Fourteenth and Sixteenth Heavy Artillery 97 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Regiment of Infantry .... 105 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The One Hundred and Eighty-eighth and One Hundred and Ninety- 
 fourth Regiments, Infantry — Grand Review at Washington at the 
 end of the War 114 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 
 Citizens of Yates County in Other Commands — Colored Soldiers — The 
 Confederate Service — The United States Navy 121 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic in Yates County— J. Barnet 
 Sloan Post, No. 93, at Penn Yan — Decoration Day Observances at 
 Penn Yan in 1869 and 1870 — Memorial Volume Presentation — Wil- 
 liam H. Long Post, No. 486, at Penn Yan — Edwin and Foster P. 
 Cook Post, No. 71, at Dundee — Hays Post, No. 115, at Potter — 
 Scott Post, No. 319, at Rushville— The Woman's Relief Corps— The 
 Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic 126 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Militia Organizations— The First Separate Company, N. G. S. N. Y. 142 
 
TI-I 
 
 MILITARY HISTORY 
 
 OF YATES COUNTY, N. Y. 
 
 The Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Mexican 
 
 War. 
 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 The Seuecas, a war-like tribe of the Six Nations — Red Jacket — Sir William 
 Johnson — Massacres at Wyoming and at Cherry Valley — Invasion by 
 the American Forces under General John Sullivan — The Battle of New- 
 town — Destruction of an Indian Village within the present limits of 
 the town of Benton — Effects of the Invasion on the Indians^emima 
 Wilkinson, the " Universal Friend" — The Friend's House in the town 
 of Jerusalem used at the close of the Civil War as a Soldiers' Home — 
 James Parker and General William Wall — Soldiers of the Revolution, 
 who settled in Yates County. 
 
 WHEN the Thirteen Colonies became in 1776 free 
 and independent States, the extent of land now 
 included in Yates County was as yet a wilderness, occupied as 
 a part of their hunting ground by the Senecas, a war-like 
 tribe belonging to the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, other- 
 wise knovvu as the Six Nations, from the number of tribes 
 or nations of which it was composed. The tribes that with 
 the Senecas united in forming this league of Ked Men were 
 the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Mohawks, the Cayugas, and 
 the Tuscaroras. 
 
 The Iroquois exceeded in war-like prowess all neighbor- 
 ing Indian nations. In the years that they held sway, op- 
 
2 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 posing tribes were brought under subjection, and the French, 
 during the Old Regime in Canada, having on several occa- 
 sions experienced their potency as warriors, learned to re- 
 gard them with respect as a formidable foe. The extensive 
 domain occupied by the Six Nations was called by them the 
 Long House, of which the Mohawks kept the eastern door 
 and the Senecas the western. 
 
 Concerning the Senecas there exist certain facts which are 
 of a local interest. The members of this tribe claimed to 
 have originated at Bare Hill in the north-western part of 
 the town of Middlesex, and the Big Elm of Italy Hollow 
 was used by them as a council-tree. Within the present 
 county of Yates also was born the celebrated chief, Sagoye- 
 loatka, or, as he is commonly known, Red Jacket.* Great 
 and important changes have been brought about by the long 
 era of civilized settlement which succeeded the occupancy of 
 our county by what has been considered the most blood- 
 thirsty and ferocious of the Six Nations. The feelings of 
 terror and hatred which they once excited have long since 
 vanished with the objects which gave them rise. A few 
 yearly decreasing mounds, some traces of nearly obliterated 
 trails, an occasionally found implement of hunting or war- 
 
 * Red Jacket, the distinguished native orator, who figured as a chief of 
 the Senecas during the later and more disastrous years of the Indian oc- 
 cupation, was born on the shores of the west branch of Lake Keuka, and 
 probaVjly within the boundaries of Jerusalem. For this statement we 
 have the authority of Red Jacket himself. On a journey with other 
 chiefs to Washington, not far from the period of General Jackson's first 
 inauguration to the Presidency, Red Jacket addressed a public meeting 
 called to give him a reception at Geneva. In that speech he stated that 
 his birthplace was near the west arm of the Keuka, so called from its re- 
 semblance to a bended elbow. He further stated that he lived there with 
 his parents till he was about twelve years old, when they removed to the 
 Old Castle near Kanadasaga, and several years later to Conewagus. A 
 sketch of that speech was reported by Roderick N. Morrison, for the 
 Penn Yan Democrat, and Alfred Reed, tlien an apprentice in that office, 
 was the printer who put it in type. These corroborating facts are given 
 because it is alleged by Colonel William L- Stone, in his Life of Red Jack- 
 et, that his birthplace was Canoga, on the west bank of Cayuga Lake; a 
 statement rendered improbable, not only b}' the facts already stated, but 
 by the further fact that Canoga was on the territory of the Cayugas. — 
 Cleveland's History of Yates County, Vol. i. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 6 
 
 fare, or for domestic use, and a few lialf-remembered names 
 of bill and lake and river, are all that is tangibly left us of 
 the primeval lords of the forest and the plain. Even these 
 are vanishing before the onward march of cultivation, and 
 the echoes of his speech are lost in the tramp of coming gen- 
 erations.^' 
 
 For a number of years previous to the Revolution, the In- 
 dian agent for the Crown among the Six Nations was Sir 
 William Johnson, an Irishman possessed of remarkable 
 shrewdness. He resided at Johnson Hall, (in the present 
 county of Fulton,) and dying a few months before the com- 
 mencement of hostilities with the Mother Country, left his 
 authority and estates to his son, Sir John Johnson, and to his 
 son-in-law, Colonel Guy Johnson. The two Johnsons, his suc- 
 cessors, being allied to the Crown both by interest and edu- 
 cation, and having personal wrongs of their own to resent, 
 took advantage of their influence with the Iroquois to insti- 
 gate them to take up arms in behalf of the cause of the King 
 of England against the American colonists. During the 
 greater part of the struggle for independence, while the pa- 
 triots were contending, often with varied success, against the 
 armed hosts of Britain, the warriors of the Six Nations, 
 (with the exception of the Oneidas and a part of the Tusca- 
 roras) carried on a most distressing predatory warfare 
 against the border settlements. Houses were burned, stock 
 destroyed, and the inhabitants either driven from their 
 homes, murdered, or carried into captivity. At Wyoming 
 and at Cherry Valley in 1778 massacres were perpetrated 
 under circumstances of great cruelty. 
 
 General Washington, in retaliation for these oiitrages, dis- 
 patched an invading force into the Indian country in the 
 summer of 1779. The command of this army was given to 
 General John Sullivan, an officer whose armed resistance to 
 British authority antedated the battle of Lexington. Sulli- 
 van's army marched through the Wyoming Valley to Tioga 
 Point, and was there joined by a detachment under General 
 James Clinton, which had advanced from Albany by way of 
 
 *Address delivered by the Hon. Johu L. Lewis before the Yates Couuty 
 Historical Society, February 4, 1S60. 
 
4 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 the Mohawk aud Susqiieharina rivers. The forces now 
 united amounted to five thousand men. In subordinate 
 command were several officers of tried abihty, notably Gen- 
 erals Poor, Maxwell, and Hand, and Colonels Gansevoort, 
 Butler, and Durbin. 
 
 The Iroquois, with their Tory allies, in expectation of an 
 attack, had strongly fortified themselves at Newtown, (near 
 the site of the present city of Elmira.) They were com- 
 manded by Joseph Brant, the famous Indian chieftain ; also 
 in command were Sir John Johnson, Colonel Guy Johnson, 
 Colonel John Butler, (a Connecticut Tory,) and his son. Ma- 
 jor Walter Butler. On the 29th of August was fought the 
 Battle of Newtown, which resulted in the total defeat of the 
 Indians. General Sullivan began to engage them by firing 
 his field-pieces at their breastworks, which he continued 
 while he detached General Poor to the right, around the 
 mountain, to fall u])on their left flank. Poor had to march 
 a mile and a half in full view of the Indians and their asso- 
 ciates, who penetrated his design. They waited, however, 
 for his approach, but observing (that when his firing an- 
 nounced his being engaged) other movements were made to- 
 wards them, they quitted their works and betook themselves 
 to a sudden and precipitate flight." 
 
 The loss of the Continentals in this action amounted to 
 seven killed and fourteen wounded; that of the enemy was 
 never ascertained. The second day after the battle General 
 Sullivan advanced to Catharine's Town. This place stood on 
 the site of Havana, t and was so called from being then the 
 residence of the noted Indian queen, Catharine Montour. 
 Catharine's Town was set on fire by the troops and reduced to 
 ashes. The Indians were so dispirited by their defeat at 
 Newtown that they made no further eft'ective resistance to 
 the progress of the army, under Sullivan, which destroyed 
 the Indian villages and corn-fields and cut down the fruit 
 trees along the line of march. 
 
 * Gordon's Historj- of the American Revolution, Vol. 3, New York, 
 1794. 
 
 tTlie name of this village has been lately changed from Havana to 
 Montour Falls. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 5 
 
 From Kanadesaga, (on the site of Geneva,) which the army 
 reached by marching northward along the east side of Sene- 
 ca Lake, General Sullivan sent detachments in various direc- 
 tions, which burned all the Indian towns to which they came, 
 and laid waste the country. One of these detachments con- 
 sisting of four hundred riflemen, advanced on the 9th of 
 September to Kashong creek, within the present boundaries 
 of Yates County, and there destroyed a large Indian village 
 with extensive fields of corn and great numbers of apple 
 trees. The wigwams and all means of subsistence on the 
 part of the Indians were completely annihilated. A portion 
 of the apple trees only remained." General Sullivan, in his 
 oflicial report, mentions this village as " Gothesewnqnean,'' 
 while in a diary of the expedition kept by one of his officers 
 (Captain Fowler) the vihage is referred to as '' Kashanvu- 
 sa/t." W. L. Stone, in his "Life of Brant," says : "A detach- 
 ment of 400 men was sent down on the west side of the lake 
 to destroy ' Goiheseimtjuean,'' and the plantations in the 
 neighborhood." The site of the village destroyed is well un- 
 derstood to be near the north line of the town of Benton and 
 on a farm recently owned by W. W. Coe. As in previous 
 instances, the inhabitants had fled before the aj)proach of 
 the troops, so that when the riflemen arrived at the village 
 they found it abandoned. 
 
 The objects of the campaign having been accomplished, 
 General Sullivan returned to Easton in Pennsylvania, which 
 he reached October 15th, on his return to join the main ar- 
 my. The expedition was more disastrous to the Indians 
 than at first might appear. They returned to their black- 
 ened homes and wasted corn-fields and looked with despair 
 upon the waste and ruin before them. They now began to 
 feel the iron they had so ruthlessly thrust into the bosom of 
 others. Mary Jemison (the White Woman) says there was 
 nothing left, not enough to keep a child. Again the}^ 
 wended their way to Niagara, where huts were built for them 
 around the fort. The winter following was the coldest ever 
 known and prevented the Indians going on their winter 
 hunt. Cooped up in their little huts and obHged to subsist 
 
 *Cleveland's Histor}- of Yates County, Vol. i. 
 
6 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 OH salted provisions, the scurvy broke out among tliem and 
 hundreds of them died. Those the sword had spared, the 
 pestilence destroyed." 
 
 The year that witnessed the signing of the Declaration of 
 Independence is memorable for another, though less import- 
 ant, event. In that year, Jemima Wilkinson, a young wom- 
 an residing in Cumberland, Rhode Island, experienced, dur- 
 ing a tit of sickness, an apparent suspension of life. After 
 her recovery she professed to have been raised from the 
 dead and to have been invested with divine attributes and 
 authority to instruct mankind in religion. She called her- 
 self the Public Universal Friend, and during her ministry 
 succeeded in gaining many adherents, not only in her native 
 State, but also in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and in Penn- 
 sylvania, particularly in the vicinity of Philadelphia. She 
 settled with her followers in 1790 on the west side of Seneca 
 Lake at City Hill, (in the now town of Torrey.) The resi- 
 dence which she first occupied yet stands and is about two 
 miles from Dresden. Subsequently she moved within the 
 present limits of the town of Jerusalem, where she died July 
 1, 1819. Her final residence is yet standing on an elevation 
 about three miles from Branchport. 
 
 It is here proper to state that the final residence of the 
 Friend (as she called herself) has also the distinction of hav- 
 ing been used at the close of the Civil War as a Soldiers' 
 Home. The domicile was purchased at that time by John 
 Alcooke, who claimed to be an English Quaker. He col- 
 lected a considerable number of disabled soldiers and made 
 them a comfortable abode in the old residence of the Friend. 
 By appeals to the charity of the people, aid from the Sani- 
 tar}' Commission, and other contributions, he was supporting 
 his crippled veterans and paying for their home when he 
 suddenl}' died June '29, ISGG.i" His remains were first de- 
 posited in the vault on the place, but were subsequently re- 
 moved to the Lake View Cemetery at Penn Yan, where a fine 
 monument stands to his memory. Alcooke was a man of 
 
 * Historical Address of the Rev. David Craft, delivered on the comple- 
 tion of the Battle Monument near Elmira, August 29. 1879. 
 t Cleveland's History of Yates County, Vol. i. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 7 
 
 imposing presence, and the Friend's place while under his 
 control was a model of neatness and order.^^" 
 
 One of the most prominent among the followers of the 
 Friend, and one of the first to join her society, was James 
 Parker, a native of South Kingston, Ehode Island. His pa- 
 rents were from England. His younger brother was Sir 
 Peter Parker, of the British Navy, and with the rank of Ad- 
 miral commanded the fleet which attacked Charleston with- 
 out success early in the Ptevolutionary War. While he was 
 earning his advancement among the English nobility in the 
 service of the Crown, his brother, James Parker, was Captain 
 of a military company in Khode Island, employed in the 
 cause of Colonial Independence. t Although James Parker 
 was among the first of the Friend's followers, he afterward 
 became one of her bitterest opponents. Another of her dis- 
 ciples at an early date was General William Wall, who at- 
 tempted to found a village at the foot of Crooked Lake, 
 , which village was to be known as Summersite. The personal 
 history of General Wall is not knoAvn to any extent, but he 
 was probably a militia ofiicer during the Ee volution. 
 
 Among those who first settled in what is now Yates Coun- 
 ty were the following Kevolutionary soldiers : Samuel Ab- 
 bey, Alexander Anderson, Isaac Andrews, (who was private 
 secretary and aid-de-camp to General Washington,) Elisha 
 Benedict, Elnathan Botsford, Elisha Brown, Daniel Brown, 
 Samuel Buell and his son Cyrus Buell, Augustus Chidsey, 
 John Cole, Achilles Comstock, William Corn well, Sr., Stephen 
 Corwin, Ephraim Dains, Castle Dains, Joseph Finton, 
 Captain Henry Green, John Greenman, James Harrington, 
 Grifiin B. Hazard, Richard Henderson, Rev. William Ho- 
 bart, (who was a chaplain in the army,) Eliphalet Hull, (who 
 assisted in placing the great chain across the Hudson below 
 West Point,) his brother Seth Hull, (who was a soldier un- 
 der General Montgomery at the siege of Quebec,) Samuel 
 
 * Charles St. John Nichols, who lost a leg at tlie taking of the Welden 
 Railroad and who died in Washington in 1884, was for a time an inmate 
 of this Home. He is remembered as having for a number of years kept 
 a news stand in Penn Yan. 
 
 t Cleveland's History of Yates County, Vol. i. 
 
8 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Jayue, Sr., Stephen Kiuney, James Kuapp, (who took part 
 in Sullivan's invasion,) William Lamport, Captain Thomas 
 Lee, John Purely, Bryan Remer, John Remer, Nathaniel 
 Riisco, Jacob Slinman, (who was at first a Hessian soldier, 
 but afterwards served in the American army,) Captain TriT- 
 man Spencer, Tewalt Swarts, James Taylor, Captain Nathan 
 Teall, Captain William Thrall, Captain Lawrence Townseud, 
 (who was at the surrender of Burgoyne,) Enos Tubbs, 
 Major, (afterwards General) Moses Van Campen, Captain 
 Amos C. West. Many citizens in our county can claim 
 the distinction of being descended from the sturd}^ patriots 
 who effectually aided the cause of Independence on the 
 battle-fields of the Revolution, from Lexington to Yorktown. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Close of the Revolution— The Phelps and Gorhani Purchase— Captain 
 Charles Williamson — The Genesee Country One Hundred Years Ago — 
 British Insolence— The War of 1812— Citizens of Yates County Who 
 Fought in this War— Organization of Yates County — The War With 
 Mexico— Soldiers of the War From Yates County — Results of the Mex- 
 ican War. 
 
 THE War of the Eevolutiou closed in 1783, the iiidepen- 
 deuce of the United States of America being that year 
 rehictantly acknowledged by their ancient parent and recent 
 enemy, England. Yielding only to force of circnmstances, 
 the British Government chose, for several years afterward, 
 to consider the treaty of peace as hardly more than an ar- 
 mistice, and only waited a more favorable opportunity to 
 bring the revolted colonies again under subjection. 
 
 Peace having been proclaimed, the new States speedily 
 settled their respective boundaries. Satisfactory treaties 
 were also made with the Indian tribes. The State of Mas- 
 sachusetts at that time claimed, however, under the grant 
 made in her colonial charter, all the territory embraced 
 within her boundaries, north and south, and extending west 
 to the Pacific Ocean. The charter, which had been granted 
 to the colony (afterward State) of New York, conflicted and 
 interfered with these claims, and they were finally adjusted 
 by commissioners assembled at Hartford, Conn., December 
 16, 1786. Here it was agreed that Massachusetts, in return 
 for the right of preemption of the soil from the Indians, 
 should cede to New York the sovereignty of all that tract of 
 land in the latter State lying west of what is now known as 
 the Old Preemption Line. The following year the State of 
 Massachusetts sold to a land company, of which Oliver 
 Phelps and Nathaniel Gorliam were the principal members, 
 the whole of this tract, which has since been known as the 
 "Phelps and Gorhani Purchase." The south part of this 
 tract was subsequently sold by Phelps and Gorham to 
 Robert Morris (one of the signers of the Declaration of 
 
10 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Independence), wlio, througb liis agent, William Temple 
 Franklin, a grandson of Benjamin Franklin, re-sold this part 
 to three capitalists in London, namely: Sir William Pulte- 
 ney, John Hornby, and Patrick Colquhoun. In 1792 Cap- 
 tain Charles Williamson came over as agent for these capi- 
 talists, and became a naturalized citizen for the purpose of 
 holding a title to that tract of land in which they were in- 
 terested. This enterprising man gave a new impetus to the 
 development of the region, and under his direction and en- 
 couragement many new settlements were established. A cir- 
 cumstance, which occurred in 1794, may be mentioned in this 
 connection. The British agents on the frontier still dreamed 
 of repossessing the country, and, in defiance of the treaty, 
 had kept possession of the Western posts. General John G. 
 Simcoe, the Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario), sent, 
 in the summer of that year. Lieutenant (afterwards General) 
 Roger H. Sheaft'e (a renegade American), bearing a protest 
 to Captain Williamson against the estal)lishment of a settle- 
 ment at Sodus, on Lake Ontario. It was claimed in this 
 protest that the settlement named was on lands belonging to 
 certain Indians, who were yet under the protection of the 
 Crown. The protest, however, was treated by Captain 
 Williamson with the contempt it deserved.* 
 
 That part of the State in which our county is now in- 
 cluded was known one hundred years ago as "The Genesee 
 Country," and the work of transforming a wilderness into a 
 prosperous and productive section had then only com- 
 menced. At Geneva (then called Kanadesaga) there was a 
 cluster of buildings occupied by Indian-traders and a fe\v 
 settlers. Jemima Wilkinson, with her small colony, was, 
 upon her first location, upon the west bank of Seneca Lake, 
 upon the Indian trail through the valley of the Susque- 
 hanna, and across Western New York to Upper Canada, the 
 primitive highway of all this region. One or two white 
 families had settled at Catharine's Town, at the head of 
 Seneca Lake. A wide region of wilderness separated the 
 most northern and western settlements of l^ennsjdvania from 
 all this region. Within the Genesee Countrj^ other than the 
 
 * Turner's History of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 11 
 
 small settlements at Geneva and the Friends' settlement, 
 there were two or three Indian traders upon the Genesee 
 River, a few white families who were squatters upon the 
 flats, one or two white families at Lewiston, one at Schlosser, 
 a negro, with a squaw wife, at Tonawanda, an Indian inter- 
 preter and two or three traders at the mouth of Buftalo 
 Creek, and a negro and an Indian trader at the mouth of 
 Cattaraugus Creek. Fort Niagara was a British garrison. 
 All else was Seneca Indian occupanc3^^^ 
 
 England, since the successful termination of the revolt of 
 her colonies, had persistently maintained a hostile attitude, 
 and under a pretended right of search (which was no more 
 than a right of the strongest), had forcibly taken many Amer- 
 ican sailors from ships belonging to our own country, and 
 compelled them to serve on British ships of war. Against 
 these high-handed outrages Washington, Adams, and Jeffer- 
 son had remonstrated in vain. The more than outi'ageous 
 attack on the Chesapeake, during the administration of the 
 latter President, aroused the public indignation to an exces- 
 sive degree, and after the accession of Madison to the Presi- 
 dency, a greater part of the people began to see that only 
 by an appeal to arms was the National honor to be pre- 
 served. There was, it is true, a strong anti-administration 
 party, principally in the Eastern States, who, even after the 
 commencement of hostilities, acted in a manner most unfav- 
 orable to the American Government, and refused to believe 
 otherwise than that the differences between the two coun- 
 tries might have been amicably adjusted. Patience, how- 
 ever, at least so far as the more patriotic Americans were 
 concerned, had ceased to be a virtue, and war was declared. 
 
 The declaration of war by America in June, 1812, seemed 
 an act of sheer madness. The American navy consisted of 
 a few frigates and sloops ; her army was a mass of half- 
 drilled and half-armed recruits ; the States themselves were 
 divided on the question of war ; and Connecticut, with 
 Massachusetts, refused to send either money or meu.t 
 Under such disadvantages did America contend for nearly 
 
 * Turner's History of the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. 
 t Green's Short History of the English People. 
 
12 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 three years afrainst a great and powerful nation, winning 
 many victories, and effectuall}' Inimbling Britain's boasted 
 superiority on the seas. With only a handful of ships to 
 offer against superior force, our commanders, nevertheless, 
 stood boldly out to sea and flung their flags of defiance to 
 the breeze. The war on land was prosecuted with equal 
 success. 
 
 The engagements at Fort George, Fort Erie, Chippewa, and 
 Lundy's Lane, may not have added territory to the posses- 
 sions of the United States, but they were, next to Bunker 
 Hill or Monmouth, some of the most important battles this 
 country ever had. Old England also learned from these 
 battles what kind of men she was fighting over here. 
 
 The residents of Ontario County (then including Yates) 
 were not backward in offering their services to their country 
 at that time. A testimony to that effect is thus given by a 
 late distinguished jurist: "During the late war with Great 
 Britain, the territory now embraced in our county furnished 
 a larger portion of officers and soldiers, who were in actual 
 service, than any other portion of the State, except those 
 immediately upon the frontiers."* Hardly an 3' record, 
 however, has been preserved from which can be learned the 
 services they performed or of the battles in which they par- 
 ticipated. The names, so far as known, are here given of 
 those soldiers of the War of 1812 who resided in what is 
 now Yates County: Samuel J. Ackley, Jeremiah B. An- 
 drews (assistant surgeon), Daniel Baldwin, Jeremiah Bar- 
 ber, Jr., Captain Thomas Barden, Dr. Enos Barnes (entered 
 as a substitute,!' and was promoted to regimental surgeon), 
 Dauiel Barton, Peter Bellis, William Bennett, James Blair, 
 Cyrenius Blodgett, Cornelius Bogart, Robert McDowell 
 Boyd, William Clark, Asa Cole, Gamaliel D. Conklin (a reg- 
 ular). Dr. William Cornwell (surgeon's mate), Caleb Cowing, 
 Niram Crane, Philip Culp, John Decker, Pierpont Dj-er, 
 Adolplms Eaton, Azariah Finch, Alanson Foster, Samuel 
 
 * Address delivered by the Hon. John L. Lewis before the Yates County 
 Historical Society, Februaiy 4, 1S60. 
 
 fThe United States Government in 1814 deemed it necessar)- to draft 
 100,000 men to end the war. As in the war of i86i-'65, several persons 
 who were drafted furnished substitutes. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 13 
 
 Furman, Edward Genuug, Isaac Gullcy, Amasa Holden 
 (brigade tife iiiajor), Amasa Holdeu, Jr., Abel M. Hammond, 
 Jedediab Haskell (served in the Fifteenth Horse Artillery), 
 James Hazard, Elijah Higley, David Hill, Eliphalet Hull, Jr., 
 Captain (afterwards General) Timothy Hnrd, William John- 
 sou, Dr. Joshua Lee (surgeon in Colonel Avery Smith's reg- 
 iment, and in that capacity was present at the battle of 
 Queenston," and was one of the first to cross the Niagara 
 River in the discharge of his duties), Thomas Lee, Jr., Sher- 
 man Lee, Peter Lamereaux, Isaac Lanning, Anthony H. 
 Lewis, Robert Lyon, Cornelius Masten, John Moore, John 
 Norcott, Janna Osgood, Zeldon Parrish, John Patterson, 
 William L. Priest, John Pruner, Isaac S. Purdy, Abijah 
 Purdy, Red Jacket, Aaron Remer, William Reynolds, Henry 
 Rogers, Asahel Russell, Nathan Sayre, Cornelius Sawyer, 
 Robert Shearman, Morris F. Sheppard, Jonathan Sissou, 
 Colonel Avery Smith, Ashler C. Thompson, Amos Tiibbs, 
 Henry Vrooman, Nathan AValton, George Wells, John W. 
 Williams (who was for several mouths a prisoner in the 
 hands of the enemy), William Wilson, Luther Winants, Dr. 
 Walter Wolcottt (surgeon's mate). Captain (afterwards Gen- 
 eral) Abner Woodworth. 
 
 Yates County was . organized February 5, 1823, and was 
 named in honor of Joseph C. Yates, then Governor of the 
 State of New York. The towns of Barrington and Starkey 
 were added to the couuty in 1820, and the town of Torrey 
 was organized in 1851. Twenty-three years after the organ- 
 ization of our county, war was declared by the United States 
 against Mexico. The principal military operations in that 
 war were the invasion of Northern Mexico by the American 
 forces under General Taylor, aud the landing at Vera Cruz 
 
 *Tlie Battle of Oueeustou was fought October 13, 1S12. lu this eu- 
 gagement Lieuteuant-Coloiiel Wiiifield Scott and Captaiu John E. Wool 
 (afterwards famous generals), first distinguished themselves. General 
 Brock, the commander of the British forces, was killed in this battle by a 
 shot fired by an American soldier named Robert Wolcott, who died only 
 a few years ago at a very advanced age. 
 
 J Roger Wolcott (an elder brother of Dr. Wolcott) was born in Connecti- 
 cut, and settled in Canada previous to the War of 1812. During that war 
 he commanded a company of Canadian militia. He afterwards removed 
 to St. Charles, 111., where he died at the age of 90 in 1S63. 
 
14 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 and the march to, and capture of, the city of Mexico by an 
 army of ten thousand men commanded by General Scott. 
 
 Among the vohmteers who served in the Mexican War 
 were the following from Yates County : John V. Masten, 
 James Miller, John Moore, and Henry B. Cornwell."^' The 
 last-named soldier was a son of Dr. William Cornwell, and 
 was .wounded at the taking of the castle of Chapultepec, 
 September 13, 1817, and died at Puebla of his wounds. 
 
 The castle of Chapultepec stood on a high and precipitous 
 hill, very steep and rocky on the south side, towards the 
 Americans. On the west the slope was more gradual, but 
 covered with dense woods and rough with rocks. Here, 
 shielded by these, was a large force of Mexicans. 
 
 At the earliest dawn the whole force of the American can- 
 non was concentrated upon the walls of the castle, and at 
 the west side storming parties were waiting anxiously for a 
 breach to be made, by which they might carry it by assault. 
 They groped their way from tree to tree and rock to rock, 
 driving the Mexicans before them, when suddenly, on the 
 crest of the hill, the whole force came out on the open space 
 in the presence of ramparts frowning with cannon and mus- 
 ketry. They continued to advance, returning only a few 
 shots, but still drawing nearer and nearer. Presently an 
 ensign, bearing the standard of his regiment, rushed forward 
 to the rampart, a shout arose, and a few followed with lad- 
 ders, placed them against the wall, and, with a cheer, 
 bounded over. The Mexicans, taken by surprise, stood but 
 a few minutes, then scrambled over the sides and down the 
 precipitous rocks out of danger. 
 
 The castle was a mass of ruins; so effectual had been the 
 shots and shells that it was battered to pieces. The follow- 
 ing morning General Scott entered the city of Mexico, drew 
 up his army on the Grand Plaza, and' hoisted the Stars and 
 Stripes over the National Palace. 
 
 The war between the United States and Mexico forms an 
 
 * William A. Cornwell, a brother of Henry B. Coruwell, also enlisted in 
 1849, with the rank of Lieutenant, in a regiment raised in New York and 
 designed as part of the army of occupation in California. L,ieutenant 
 Cornwell sailed with his regiment around Cape Horn to California, and 
 afterwards became a permanent resident of that State. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 15 
 
 interesting epocli iu Aiuericau history, resulting, as it did, in 
 the former country being hugely increased in territorial ex- 
 tent and in the establishment of our supremacy on the Pa- 
 cific coast. In this conflict, also, several subalterns, who 
 were destined to afterward win enduring fame, took their first 
 lessons in the art of war, lessons that were probably put to 
 practical use in the greater conflict which was to follow. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 The War Between the States. 
 CHAPTER L 
 
 Sentiment in Yates County before and during the War for the Union. 
 
 IT seems proper, before entering upon a detailed account 
 of the niilitar}' operations participated in by tliose regi- 
 ments in which Yates County was represented, to make 
 some reference to certain events bearing on the anti-slavery 
 sentiment, which sentiment prevailed to a greater or less ex- 
 tent in this county from the time of its organization till the 
 close of the Civil War in 1865. At the period, however, in 
 which Yates was set off from Ontario County, slavery existed 
 North as well as South, although gradual emancipation in 
 the Northern States had already begun. Some few persons 
 in Benton and vicinity then kept slaves in their families, but 
 the slaves there owned were few in number. The town book 
 of Benton contains the following record of the birth of a 
 slave : " This will certify that Harriet, an infant slave, 
 belonging to me at this time, was born the 20th of Sept., one 
 thousand eight hundred and twenty-two. Certified by 
 Matthew Cole. Benton, 18th March, 1823." 
 
 The inhabitants of this part of the State at that time, as 
 a rule, regarded slavery, if not witli favor, at least with a 
 passive indifference, but there were some among them whose 
 idea in this respect was that slavery was a great evil, which 
 should be abolished. The number holding this extreme 
 view were small, but they were very outspoken and active 
 in expressing tlieir opinion. Among these, Henry Bradle}'^, 
 of Penn Yan, a merchant in high standing in the commun- 
 ity, was the most prominent. He was a thorough opponent 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OP YATES COUNTY. 17 
 
 of that " peculiar institution," and many a fugitive slave by 
 his aid reached safety and freedom. He lived to see human 
 slavery legally abolished throughout the laud. 
 
 An exciting circumstance, which occurred in this county in 
 1830, is here related as a reminiscence of the first encounter 
 between our citizens and the slave power. In the summer of 
 that year, the little village of Eddytown* was thrown into 
 a state of wild excitement by an occurrence that happened 
 in this wise : Several men were seen on horseback passing 
 through the place on a full gallop. The people who saw 
 them wondered and began to institute an inquiry as to their 
 business. At length the astounding truth was reached. 
 They were a couple of slaveholders from Virginia, with 
 their aids, in pursuit of some seven runaway slaves. The 
 men who were in company with the owners of those 
 slaves, and who had escorted them to find their where- 
 abouts, were certain residents of this neighborhood, who 
 cared more for their pecuniary benefit than for the claims of 
 humanit} . It was very common for people who had little 
 reverence for the Golden Rule in those days to think they 
 were doing God service to restore a colored man to bondage, 
 especially if they were well paid for doing so. The slave- 
 holders and their assistants had been informed that three of 
 the fugitives had been employed by Zenas P. Kelsey to work 
 in the harvest field a short distance south of the village, and 
 a fourth was employed up near the Red Mill, known as the 
 Carmichael Mill. Thither they hastened. Isaac Lanning, 
 Patrick Quinn, and Elder Abner Chase, all strong anti- 
 slavery men, saw them pass and hastened to the spot, hoping 
 to foil their attempts at seizure. But they were too late. 
 The slaveholders had the fugitives caught and hand-cuffed. 
 Though the poor fellows looked with appealing e^^es, they 
 were powerless to aid. Yet if there was a loop hole any- 
 where they were bound to find it. Lanning stepped up to 
 the Virginians and demanded in a tone of authority what 
 the}^ were going to do with those colored men. "We are 
 going to take them back where they belong, sir," the}' re- 
 plied, to which Lanning said : "You won't take them back." 
 
 * In the town of Starkey. 
 
18 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 These words, so defiantly spoken, put a new spirit in Mr, 
 Kelsey, the employer of the slaves, and he pulled off his 
 coat instantl}'. At this one of the slaveholders, with sword 
 and pistol by his side, drew his sword from the sheath as if 
 ready for a combat, but Lanning, not at all intimidated, said: 
 " You had better put up your sword, for they are not going 
 to be .taken back till you show your authority. There has 
 been kidnapping enough in the State of New York already." 
 After talking awhile over the matter on all sides, the Virgin- 
 ians consented to come back to the village and spend the 
 night, and the next morning have the matter investigated. 
 They dispatched two of their assistants to catch the one up 
 by the mill, while the remainder, with their human property, 
 returned to the hotel. Lanning, Quinn, and Chase returned 
 also. The latter men knew that the remaining three fugitives 
 were at work in Milo at the place of Silas Spink. The own- 
 ers did not know where they were. Lanning immediately 
 took his horse (a mare well known as "Old Black," noted 
 for swiftness), and directed John Ro^'ce, son of his neighbor, 
 Matthew Koyce, to ride her to Milo and tell the slaves to 
 flee if they valued their liberty. John led the horse to Dr. 
 Walter Wolcott's barn, where he saddled the animal, then 
 mounted, and, to avert suspicion, leisurely passed directly 
 by the hotel where the slaveholders, with their booty, 
 were just stopping. But no sooner was he out of sight, 
 than he sped like the wind "for Spink's farm. He reached 
 the place and found the colored men mowing by the 
 roadside. Hardly had they heard the ill-fated tidings than 
 one of them leaped the fence at a bound. He told them to 
 flee to Penn Y'^an, inquire for Mr. Bradley, and he would tell 
 them what to do. Having accomplished his errand, he re- 
 turned. In the meantime the matter of the capture of the 
 fugitive slaves had been noised around, and when night, 
 with its murky folds, had fallen over the village, nearly two 
 hnndred people were assembled about the tavern. Many 
 sympathized with the poor creatures, who had been cap- 
 tured, and would have saved them had they dared. But 
 the tine was heav}^ and the law* severe. Others took part 
 
 *The old Fugitive Slave Act, passed in 1793. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 19 
 
 with the property-owners, and said : " Good enough for the 
 niggers." "They ought to be taken back." "It was the 
 place for them." What did they know about Freedom ? " 
 "They could not take care of themselves," etc. 
 
 The four slaves (the one at the Ked Mill having been 
 brought back ) were locked in a private room at the hotel 
 and securely guarded. Lawyer Taylor,* then a resident of 
 the village, was sent for. He came., and as he saw the multi- 
 tude standing about, he inquired in aloud tone, "What is 
 this mob doing here ? " Reuben Royce immediately an- 
 swered, in a similar tone, " What is that you say, sir ? Call 
 your neighbors a mob ? You will take that back or there 
 will be trouble." Mr. Taylor at once modified his speech so 
 as to make it satisfactory to Mr. Royce. The people, hear- 
 ing that the matter was to be examined legally the next day, 
 returned to their homes, many of them with feelings of in- 
 dignation and shame that such laws had ever been enacted 
 — laws that made it possible to buy and sell humanity — laws 
 that were in exact contradiction to the law of God, which 
 says, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 
 
 The morning came, and although it was in the basy har- 
 vest time, a large number gathered to see that no foul play 
 was used. The matter being legally investigated before 
 Isaac P. Seymour, a Justice of the Peace, it was shown by 
 papers in their possession that the Southerners were the 
 rightful owners of these unfortunate persons, and had a right, 
 according to law, to take them back and treat them like dogs, 
 if they wished. The slaveholders then made a diligent 
 search for the remaining three who were on their way to 
 freedom and safety. The slaveholders and their aids were 
 guided, some in one direction, and some in another on pur- 
 pose to mislead and confuse them. Two of their assistants 
 were sent to Rochester on receiving a report, which proved 
 to be false, that these three fugitives were at that place. The 
 Virginians also commenced a suit against Mr. Spink, laying 
 
 *James Taylor, a prominent lawyer, was born in Connecticut and re- 
 sided for a number of years in Starkey, and also in Penn Yan. He 
 moved in 1857 to Leavenworth, Kansas, where he died in 1869, aged 
 eighty years. 
 
20 THE MILITAEY HI8T0EY OF YATES COUNTY, 
 
 heavy damages, and after waiting nearly a week, they left 
 for the South. But one of the masters and one of the cap- 
 tured slaves sickened and died in Elmira. So one slave- 
 holder, with three slaves, returned to Virginia. The suit 
 against Mr. Spink was never tried, and was finally dropped. 
 Thus ends the account of an event out of hundreds that 
 might be chronicled that transpired during the terrible reign 
 of slavery. 
 
 Besides the anti-slavery men mentioned in connection 
 with the above incident, there were then in this part of the 
 State several others" who held to the same idea, and as 
 years passed on the opponents of slavery gradually grew in 
 number. In 1841 1 the difference of opinion in regard to 
 slavery had risen to such a height in Penn Yan as to effect a 
 division in the Presbyterian and in the Methodist congrega- 
 tions. A majority of the members of the Presb3'terian 
 Church withdrew and organized themselves into a societ}' 
 called the Congregationalists, under the counsel and direc- 
 tion of their pastor, the Rev. Ovid Miner, who was an Abol- 
 itionist of the most pronounced type. A portion of the 
 Methodists likewise seceded, and formed themselves into 
 what was known as the Wesleyan Society. These two dis- 
 senting societies each remained a number of years in organ- 
 ization. 
 
 The bitter political contests, arising from the encroach- 
 ments of the slave power, and which continued for so many 
 years, were regarded b}^ the people of Yates County with a 
 certain degree of interest, and at length a feeling hostile to 
 slavery became quite general among them. This feeling 
 was intensified, when, in 1854, the passage of the Kansas- 
 Nebraska act caused great excitement throughout the North. 
 The residents of this county joined heartily in denouncing 
 the measure. On the 5th of August of that 3'ear, in response 
 to a call signed b}' over two hundred persons, a mass meet- 
 
 *Pron]inent among the anti-slavery men at this period were Morris F. 
 Sheppard, his sou, Charles C. Sheppard, M3-ron Hamlin, Samuel F. Cur- 
 tis, and Joseph Elmendorf. 
 
 tjohu Thomas, a well-known colored man, escaped from slavery, and 
 came that year to Penn Yan, where he has since resided. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 21 
 
 ing" was held iu Penn Yau, at which resohitions iu opposi- 
 tiou to the enactment were adopted. The adherents of the 
 new party, styled the Republican, had by this time become 
 so stron<4 in number in this vicinity as to elect their county 
 ticket in the fall of the year followiug.t The brutal and 
 wanton attack made iu May, 1856, by Preston S. Brooks 
 upon Charles Sumner, in his seat in the Senate, caused a 
 high feeling of anger and resentment throughout the county. 
 An indignation meeting was held June Gth at the Court 
 House iu Penn^an, at which resolutions were adopted con- 
 demning the outrage, and several well-timed speeches were 
 made.:}: At the Presidential election held that fall the vote 
 cast in Yates County for Fremont was 2,9*J0. AVheu John 
 Brown in 1859 made his raid into Virginia, which resulted iu 
 his capture, trial, and execution, words of sympathy were 
 expressed in all parts of the county for the unfortunate old 
 hero. James M. Westcott, a local preacher residing in the 
 town of Barrington, contributed to the Yates County Chron- 
 icle an ode of sixteen verses commemorating the event.§ 
 
 The Presidential election of 1860 II is well remembered as 
 having been one of the most exciting in our country's his- 
 
 *The meeting was addressed by Hon. Henry W. Taylor, of Cauandai- 
 gua. Letters were read from Hon. B. F. Butler and Hon. Andrew Oliver, 
 who were unable to attend, and the following delegates were appointed 
 to attend the Saratoga Convention, held August iSth: Richard H. Wil- 
 liams, General A. F. Whitaker, D. J. McMaster, Charles C. Sheppard, 
 and Oliver Stark. 
 
 tWilliam S. Briggs, County Judge; Lewis B. Graham, County Clerk ; 
 Daniel Lanning, Sheriff; Henry H. Gage, Member of Assembly; Wy- 
 nans Bush, Coroner ; John J. Johnson, Justice of Sessions. 
 
 t Edward J. Fowle was chairman of this meeting, and the speakers were 
 Samuel H. Welles, Hon. Andrew Oliver, David W. Adams, and Henry 
 M. Stewart. 
 
 §Iu his ode. Elder Westcott, referring to the overwhelming force that 
 come out against John Brown, wrote as follows: 
 
 Now Maryland sends forth her troops — 
 
 "Old Buck" sends the marines; 
 Virginia, too, from out their coops 
 Called forth some queer machines. 
 
 "Old Buck " was the nickname of President Buchanan. 
 
 II Charles C. Sheppard, of Yates County, was one of the delegates to the 
 Republican National Convention that had that fall nominated Lincoln 
 for the Presidency. 
 
22 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 tory. The people of Yates County shared to a coDsiderable 
 extent in the general animation. Wide- Awake Clubs were 
 organized all over the county, and grand mass meetings 
 were held. In this county 3,015 votes were cast that fall for 
 Abraham Lincoln. The secession of South Carolina and of 
 six other States came about soon after his election ; a South- 
 ern Confederacy was established in the following February, 
 and hostilities were commenced by the Secessionists by the 
 attack on Fort Sumter in April, 1861. This act of war 
 against the Nation electrified the loyal No^h, and the de- 
 termination there expressed to uphold the government was 
 promptly evinced by a movement, in which Yates County 
 took no small part, known as the Great Northern Uprising. 
 Immediately after the news of the President's proclama- 
 tion, dated April loth and calling for 75,000 men, reached 
 Penn Yan, a war meeting was called in AVashington Hall. 
 General Alexander F. Whitaker presided, and George K. 
 Cornwell was secretary. Several addresses were made, and 
 the session continued till a late hour. A roll was presented 
 and thirty-four names were obtained. A much larger gath- 
 ering was held on the evening of April 25th, with bands of 
 music parading the streets and playing National airs. 
 Resolutions were adopted to raise a company of volunteers, 
 and recruits came forward freely. The Republican and 
 Democratic Central Committees combined in a call for a 
 county mass meeting and union assembly, which took place 
 in the Court House Park on Saturday, April 27th. A proces- 
 sion was formed, under the direction of General A. F. Whit- 
 aker, aided by General George Wagener, and led by martial 
 and brass bands.* In this parade, preceded by veterans of 
 
 *The names are here given of the musicians whose soul-inspiring 
 music was heard in Penn Yan and vicinity in war time. During this 
 period the membership of the Brass Band was more than once changed 
 liy some musicians enlisting and others removing. Those who played in 
 this band were as follows: George Fletcher Hopkins, leader, first E flat 
 cornet; Edwin Amsbury, second E flat cornet; Albert Brigden, B flat 
 cornet; George Norris, B flat cornet; A. Oliver Lewis, alto; Elislia Dur- 
 fee, alto; Edward G. Hopkins, tenor ; George Baxter, tenor; George 
 Ketchum, tuba; Damon Morse, baritone ; John Knapp, piccolo; Rufus 
 F. vScofield, base drum and cymbals, afterward tuba; William H. Glad- 
 ding, snare drum, also tuba; Alonzo T. Lyon, snare drum; Thomas 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 23 
 
 the War of 1812, marched the new recruits, under command 
 of Mr. Corn well, who had been appointed Lieutenant. 
 Morris Brown, Esq., was president of the day, and over five 
 thousand persons were in attendance on this occasion. 
 Stirring addresses were delivered by Hon. Darius A. Ogden, 
 Hon. Henry 8pence, General A. F. Whitaker, and Abraham 
 V. Harpending, Esq. At that meeting was appointed a 
 finance committee, consisting of Messrs. Farley Holmes, 
 Ebenezer B. Jones, Darius A. Ogden, and Charles C. Shep- 
 pard, who circulated a subscription to raise funds to provide 
 for the families of volunteers : The following vigilance com- 
 mittee was also appointed : Moses W. Eastman, Farley 
 Holmes, John L. Lewis, Jr., Nathaniel II. Long, Daniel 
 Morris, and John Wilkinson. 
 
 The military company now recruited, and which at this 
 time was known as the "Keuka Rifies," assembled on the 
 9th of May in Washington Hall, and was there inspected by 
 Major John E. Bean, of Geneva, and mustered into the 
 State service. An election was held for officers on the same 
 day, resulting in the choice of James M. Letts as Captain. 
 Mr. Corn well, who had been active in raising this company, 
 waived his claim for preference as an officer in favor of Ed- 
 ward E. Boot, the head clerk in his employ, who was elected 
 First Lieutenant and William H. Long Second Lieutenant. 
 The company continued to drill under its officers until orders 
 were received to go into camp at Elmira on the 19th of 
 May. On that day the company departed, and was escorted 
 to the railroad depot by the Penn Yan firemen in uniform 
 and a vast crowd of citizens. The company was presented 
 
 Emery, base drum, (also played in the martial band) ; William Wood, 
 base drum and cymbals (last part of the war.) The martial band, which 
 rendered effective service in drumming up recruits, was composed at dif- 
 ferent times of some of tlie following named persons : Captain William 
 Stewart Judd, leader; Amasa Holden, Charles Holden, Rowland North- 
 rup, Loreu Swift, William VanNorman, Garrett Martin, George Caton, 
 John Wheeler, fifers ; Freeman G. Wheeler, Homer M. Townsend, James 
 A. Belknap, Jerry Hall, Edward G. Elliott, snare drummers; Wallace 
 Betts, base drummer. The soldiers departing for the seat of war would 
 usually march to the railroatl station to the tune of " Rally 'Round the 
 Flag," changing soon to "The Girl I Left Behind Me," which the band 
 would play as the train was pulling out. 
 
24 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 by the ladies of Penu Yan with a beautiful flag, and was 
 addressed on its departure by Hon. D. A. Ogden and E. B. 
 Jones. A testament and a needle-case were also presented 
 to each member. The men on their arrival at Elmira were 
 quartered in the Ilev. Thomas K. Beecher's church, and on 
 the 24th of May became Company I, of the Thirty-third 
 New York Volunteers, and with the history of this regiment 
 from that date the history of the company is identifled. 
 Meanwhile other recruits volunteered, and, in squads con- 
 taining a dozen or more men, left Penn Yan, some for Albany 
 and some for Elmira, and there united with various com- 
 mands. Letters soon began to come from the absent soldier 
 boys, describing their experiences in the camp and on the 
 battle-field. Throughout Yates County love of the old flag 
 became a passion, the Stars and Stripes appeared waving 
 over manufactories and private residences, and pole-raisings 
 were of almost daily occurence. At Penn Yan a hearty and 
 gratifying welcome was given to Colonel R. F. Taylor, of the 
 Thirty-third Regiment, on the occasion of his visit to this 
 village on the 14th of December. 
 
 In March, 18(32, the Kev. Frederick Starr, Jr., became 
 pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Penn Yan. A 
 native by birth of the State of New York, he had, in the 
 early part of his ministry, beginning in 1849, preached Ave 
 years at Weston in Missouri, and there, by the boldness of 
 his anti-slavery sentiments, had incurred the hatred of the 
 lawless, slave-holding inhabitants of that section. Hearing 
 of a plot to take his life, he left Weston by night and re- 
 turned to Auburn, N. Y., where he had been a theological 
 student. From Auburn he came to Penn Yan. To sincere 
 and perfect i^iety in his chosen calling, he added great devo- 
 tion to the cause of the Union. The whole county felt the 
 influence of his true [)atriotism. Next to his God he loved 
 his country. To awaken Christian patriotism ; to enlighten 
 the public mind; to All the ranks of the army ; to pay re- 
 spects to the patriot dead, and make their graves preach a 
 fresh love and devotion to our country and its institutions, 
 he was always ready to go, far and near.* With all his un- 
 
 *Memorial sermon, preached by the Rev. David Magie, January 20, 1S67. 
 
THE MILITAKY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 25 
 
 ceasing activity in the cause of National Unity, lie found 
 time to bring about an addition and iiuprovement to his 
 church edifice and to the lot on which it stood. He was a 
 noble and talented young man, a "good and faithful ser- 
 vant," a thorough patriot, a zealous Christian. At the close 
 of the war he left Penn Yan and Avent back to Missouri, 
 having, as he told his father before he commenced his first 
 pastorate there, always felt that with hiui the obligation to 
 go to a place was great in pro|)ortion to its necessity. He 
 died in St. Louis, January 8, 1867, in the forty-tirst year of 
 his age." 
 
 President Lincoln's second call for troops in 1862 was 
 promptly and cheerfully met in Yates County. The Board 
 of Supervisors!' unanimously resolved, July 26th, and again 
 
 *When the new Presbyterian Church edifice was erected in Penn Yan 
 in 1879, ^ proposal to place a Starr memorial window in the church was 
 brought up among the Building Committee, consisting of the following 
 members: Charles V. Bush, George R. Cornwell, George Cramer, My- 
 ron Hamlin, Theodore O. Hamlin, Charles Hunter, Charles G. Judd, 
 Charles R. King, John H. Lown, Ephraim W. Mills, D. Henry Palmer 
 (pastor), Augustus W. Prentiss, Charles C. Sheppard, John S. Sheppard, 
 Franklin E. Smitli, Charles W. Taylor, and Charles D. Welles. Nearly 
 three hundred dollars were contributed for this purpose, and mostly by 
 persons not of the congregation. The memorial window is in the front 
 of the edifice, and on the wall below the window is placed a tablet, bear- 
 ing the following inscription : 
 
 In Memoriam. 1826. Rev. Frederick Starr. 1867. 
 
 Pastor of this Church, 1862-1865. 
 
 His courage as a Patriot, His zeal as a Philanthropist, were only equalled 
 
 by his industry and fervor as a minister of Christ. 
 
 fThe following were the Vates County Supervisors during the war : 
 BarrinGTOn, Peter H. Crosby, 1861 ; Jonathan Taylor, 1S62 ; Asa P. 
 Fish, 1863-64; Delazon J. Sunderlin, 1865; BenTON, Homer Marriner, 
 2861-62; Caleb Hazen, 1863-64; John Merrifield, 1865 ; Itai:,y, Alden D. 
 Fox, 1861-62-64-65 ; William S. Green, 1863 ; Jerusalem, J. Warren 
 Brown, 1861-62 ; Daniel B. Tuthill, 1863 64; Ferris P. Hurd, 1865 ; Mid- 
 dlesex, Alexander Bassett, 1861 ; Daniel Bostwick, 1S62-63 ; Thomas 
 Underwood, 1864-65 ; Milo, Charles Wagener, 1861 ; Meletiah H. Law- 
 rence, 1862 ; John C. Scheetz, 1863-64-65 ; Potter, John Halstead, 1861- 
 62 ; Hiram Keeuey, 1863 ; Henry Torrey, 1864 ; Whitford B. Wyman, 
 1865 ; Starkey, Herschel W. Pierce, 1861 ; Anthony C. Harpending, 
 1862-63; Hiland G. Wolcott, 1864; Ashbel Hollister, 1865; Torrev, Ja- 
 cob Van Deventcr, 2d, 1861 ; Darius Baker, 1862; George W. Gardner, 
 1863-64-65. 
 
26 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 on August 21st, " Tliat the County Treasurer of Yates County 
 be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed, to borrow and 
 receive fifteen thousand dollars, to constitute a Volunteer 
 Fund, from such parties as will advance the same, at such 
 times and in such amounts as may be mutually agreed upon, 
 and may be convenient, for the purpose of aiding in the en- 
 listment of volunteers and the support of their families 
 while in the military service of the United States and of the 
 State of New York; and that said County Treasurer is 
 hereby directed to issue proper certificates thereof, payable 
 when in funds thereof, with interest." War meetings were 
 held, recruiting offices opened, aud soldiers rapidly re- 
 cruited and sent to the front to swell the ranks of the "three 
 hundred thousand more." On the 29th of November the 
 following resolution was adopted unanimously by the Board 
 of Supervisors: "Resolved, That the sum of thirty thous- 
 and six hundred and fifty dollars be levied upon the County 
 of Yates, collected and paid into the treasury, to be ex- 
 pended, so far as necessary therefor, in payment of the cer- 
 tificates issued by the County Treasurer, in pursuance of 
 the resolution of this Board, adopted July 26th aud August 
 21st, 1862, with the interest thereon ; the residue, after pay- 
 ing such certificates, to constitute a Volunteer Fund, for the 
 payment of bounties and the support of families of volun- 
 teers, according to the rules and regulations established by 
 this Board, at its special meeting, on the 21st day of August, 
 1862." 
 
 In April, 1863, the Twenty-fifth Provost Marshal District, 
 comprising the counties of Yates, Ontario, and Livingston, 
 was organized, with headquarters at Canandaigua. The En- 
 roUilig Board consisted of Captain William T. Ilemer, Pro- 
 vost-Marshal; Dr. Zerah H. Blake, Surgeon; and Jacob A. 
 Mead, Commissioner. Captain Ralph T. Wood was ap- 
 pointed Chief Clerk and George N. Hicks, John O. Wake- 
 man, William Hildreth, and Alonzo Snyder, Deputy-Mar- 
 shals. The work of enrolling all persons liable to a draft, 
 between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, was at once com- 
 menced, and the first draft affecting Yates County took place 
 July 31st at Canandaigua, under the direction of the Provost 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 27 
 
 Marshal. The drafting wheel, which Avas hollow, was turned 
 by Deputy Marshal Wakeman, of Peun Yan. At every rev- 
 olution of the wheel a card was taken out by a blind man, 
 (who was also blindfolded as the law directed) and the name 
 called off by the Commissioner. Three companies of militia, 
 one from Penu Yan and two from Rochester, were stationed 
 on guard. The number of men in Yates County at that time 
 drafted were 572. Of these a number were exempted for 
 physical reasons, several were exempted for other causes, 
 some personally provided substitutes, and 2G8 paid each a 
 commutation of $300. On the 4th of December the Board 
 of Supervisors, with the object of providing for subsequent 
 drafts, and to encourage volunteering, resolved unanimously, 
 "That the county of Yates pay $300 to each person who 
 shall hereafter volunteer into the service of the United 
 States for the term of three years or during the war, and be 
 mustered into the service to the credit of this county ; and 
 the like sum of $300 to each man who shall be drafted and 
 serve himself or furnish a substitute to the extent of the 
 quota of this county." For the payment of these bounties 
 the Board resolved, "That the sum of twenty-eight thousand 
 dollars be assessed, levied, and collected upon the county," 
 and that the county Treasurer be authorized "To issue 
 Bonds or Scrip of the County of Yates, from time to time, and 
 as the necessities may require, in sums of not less than fifty 
 dollars, with annual interest from the date of their issue, to 
 the amount of eighty-four thousand dollars ; said Bonds or 
 Scrip to be negotiated by said Treasurer, and the money re- 
 ceived thereon by him, and that the amount of money ob- 
 tained thereon constitute a fund, from which the said volun- 
 teers or drafted men shall be paid." The following were 
 appointed as a Volunteer Committee to carry these resolu- 
 tions into effect : James Burns, County Treasurer, John C. 
 Scheetz, Supervisor from Milo, and Lewis B. Graham, Clerk 
 of the Board. The times of payment of these Bonds were 
 designated as follows: one-third on the 15th of February 
 1865 and one-third on the 15th of February 1866. The 
 amount of issue was subsequently increased to $135,000 by 
 a resolution passed by the Board of Supervisors August 3, 
 
28 THE MILITAEY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 1864, and a further increase to $145,000 was unanimously 
 resolved by the Board on the olst of December of the same 
 year. The time for payment, by thirds, of the new issues 
 required was also extended to February 15, 18G7 and to 
 February 15, 1808. Liberal bounties to recruits were like- 
 wise voted by the different towns. At the meeting held De- 
 cember 31, 1864, Benjamin L. Hoyt was appointed general 
 recruitiug agent for the county, to act under the direction of 
 the Board. Ciiarles C. Miller and Charles Kelly were also 
 appointed recruiting agents on the 9th of January, 1865. 
 
 The number of men raised by the later drafts and provided 
 for in the foregoing resolutions were 576 "" in the second and 
 third drafts and 253 in the fourth. For each man drafted 
 three years of service were duly credited to the County by 
 the State, including that of the men held by the first draft 
 and who had then provided personally for the quota, the 
 succeeding drafts being tilled at the County's expense. In 
 1865 Yates County received from the State Bounty Loan 
 $192,000, to pay the expenses of the last draft and $200 a 
 year on 307 years of excess from preceding drafts. The re- 
 ceipt of all this amount was reported by the Volunteer Com- 
 mittee at that time as follows : " The $130,600 paid for boun- 
 ties has been refunded to the County by the State, also the 
 sum of $61,400 has been received for excess of years of ser- 
 vice on former calls." 
 
 Little Yates, as may be observed, was as strong in her de- 
 votion to the Union cause as any locality in State or na- 
 tion. t There were a few exceptions, where ignorance, stu- 
 
 * The Yates County Ch rotiicle oi^uXy 14, 1S64, contained the following 
 interesting item of news : "Provost-Marshal Renier, Surgeon Blake, and 
 Commissioner Mead, composing the enrolling board of the 25th District, 
 held forth at the Court House on Saturday and Monday last. Some 400 
 to 500 applications were made to be struck from the enrollment. Of 
 those 260 were struck off for various reasons, but more on account of a 
 lack of teeth than from any other cause. ' ' 
 
 fOn the 6th of June, 1863, a branch of the National Loyal League was 
 established at Penn Yan. Thomas H. Locke, Esq., was made President 
 of the Penn Yan League. A branch was also established at Bellona by 
 Hon. Samuel Jayne and others, and in the town of Harrington by Joseph 
 F. Crosby and others. The following pledge was signed by the members: 
 " We pledge ourselves to unconditional loyalty to the Government of the 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 29 
 
 pidity, or a lack of self-respect warped men out of line and 
 let tliem sink from respectable notice. Their influence then 
 was lighter than air, and since that time the class to which 
 they belonged have not been trusted by either those who 
 fought for or against the flag. During the war the County 
 was represented in the Assembly as follows : Gilbert Sherer, 
 18G1; Darius A. Ogden, 1862; Guy Shaw, 1863; Oren G. 
 Loomis, 1864 ; Eben S. Smith, 1865. In 1862 and again in 
 1864, Hon. Daniel Morris was elected to Congress from the 
 Twenty-fifth District, embracing the counties of Ontario, Liv- 
 ingston, and Yates. President Lincoln received 3,036 votes 
 in Yates County, when re-elected in 1864." The voice of 
 the press of the County, from the beginning to the end of 
 the war, was of unswerving loj^alty to the National Govern- 
 ment. t_. 
 
 The efforts of the noble women of our County to alleviate 
 the hardships incident to soldier life cannot be too highly 
 commended. A Soldiers' Aid Society,! comprising over one 
 
 United States iu its efforts to suppress the rebellion, and to spare no en- 
 deavors to maintain unimpaired the national unity, both iu principle and 
 territorial boundary." 
 
 * In August 1864 Hon. John Cochrane, of New York cit3% formerly 
 Colonel of the New York Chasseurs, and later promoted Brigadier-Gener- 
 al in the Army of the Potomac, but at this time Attorney-General of the 
 State of New York, came to Penu Yan and remained several days, the 
 guest of John D. Wolcott, Esq. General Cochrane had a short time be- 
 fore received the nomination for Vice-President on the ticket with Gen- 
 eral Fremont, but both candidates ultimately withdrew from the field. 
 He made during his stay in Penn Yan several speeches, advocating a vig- 
 orous prosecution of the war. 
 
 fThe newspapers published in Yates County in war time were the 
 Yates County Chronicle, conducted by Stafford C. Cleveland ; the Penn 
 Yan Democrat, conducted during the first two years of the war by Mc- 
 Connell & Stanton, (Eli McCoimell and Warren J. Stanton,) and during 
 the last two years by George D. A. Bridgman ; and the Dundee Record, 
 conducted at first by David S. Bruner, then for about six months by 
 George D. A. Bridgman, and afterwards by James M. Westcott. 
 
 X This Society, on its organization, October 15, 1861, elected the follow- 
 ing officers : President, Mrs. Mary C. Porter ; Vice-President, Mrs. Maria 
 C. Brown; Secretary, Mrs. Mary Wardwell ; Treasurer, Mrs. Judith Og- 
 den. In March 1862, Mrs. Wardwell and Mrs. Ogden having resigned. 
 Miss Mary E. Curtis was elected Secretary and Treasurer. On October 
 15, 1862, officers were elected as follows: President, Mrs. Maria C. Brown; 
 
30 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 liuudrecl ladies, was organized iu Penn Yan, October 15, 
 1861, as an auxiliary to the United States Sanitary Commis- 
 sion. By their exertions, blankets, mittens, socks, and other 
 necessary and useful articles were collected and sent to the 
 soldiers at the front. Even the little girls* became interested 
 and eagerly assisted in the work of preparing lint, banda- 
 ges, and other good things for the sick and wounded soldiers 
 iu the hospitals. 
 
 Yates County joined heartily iu the general exultation 
 throughout the North on the occasion of the successful is- 
 sue of the Appomattox campaign. t The great event was 
 celebrated on the 14tli of April, 1805, at Penn Yan by a grand 
 
 Vice-Presideut, Mrs. Mary Franklin ; Secretary and Treasurer, Miss Mary 
 E. Curtis. These ladies were retained in office until the close of the war. 
 The Society received in cash contributions to June 7, 1865 13,025.32, ad- 
 ded to which, the young girls belonging to the Alert Club collected II744.09, 
 making a monthly average of $57.23. Among the articles sent to the 
 soldiers iu the hospital were 369 gallons of pickles, 2,1 88 lbs. of dried 
 fruit, 222 bottles of liquors, 281 cans of fruit. 7,265 yards of cloth were 
 made into garments by the Society and 5,220 garments were sent to the 
 U. S. Sanitary and Christian Commissions. There were also sent to the 
 soldiers 119 packages (boxes and barrels,) averaging nearly three per 
 month. The last Society meeting was held May 30, 1865. 
 
 *The following letter, received by one of these little girls in Penn Van, 
 speaks for itself: 
 
 Fort Foote, Md., July 10, 1865. 
 Miss Abbie K. Wolcott. 
 
 My good little girl : — As you very politely asked the finder of your let- 
 ter and fixings sent to the soldiers last March, to answer you and let you 
 know where and by whom found, I will comply with your wishes. 
 
 I am at work in a hospital, where there is a great number of sick sol- 
 diers. Yesterday I was looking over some things that came from New 
 York, for the boys, and found your things nicel}' packed away in a packet 
 all safe. I think j^ou must be a very smart little girl to do so much 
 work. 
 
 If }'ou would like to hear from the soldiers I will write you a long letter 
 when I have time. If not, you can just tell me so. Good b3e. Accept 
 this from a good friend and well-wisher of little girls. 
 
 Dr. R. L. Johnson, 
 
 Fort Foote, Maryland. 
 
 t The joy of the North was unbounded over this great victory. Bon- 
 fires, illuminations, and the firing of cannon attested the universal de- 
 light, while Grant became the idol of the Nation. — Headley's History of 
 the Great Rebellion, Vol. 2. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 31 
 
 parade formed under the direction of General A. F. Whita- 
 ker, with the following aids: Messrs. Charles F. Rudgers, 
 Henry C. Hermans, Homer W. Randall, and George Y. East- 
 man. Amid cheers from the multitude and the booming of 
 cannon, the procession moved through the principal streets, 
 presenting throughout its whole length a grand and pleasing 
 display. The Peun Yan Brass Band, an excellent band of 
 martial music, fire companies, and their engines, and the Ke- 
 uka Hose Company, in its new red attire, made a noteworthy 
 attraction. Carriages, with the clergy and orators of the 
 day and citizens in carriages, lengthened out the line of 
 march, while a slave whipping post" was carried, as in tri- 
 umph, on a cart in the middle of the procession. Congrat- 
 ulatory speeches were delivered from convenient speaking- 
 stands by Hon. Daniel Morris, Hon. M. H. Lawrence, Hon. 
 D. A. Ogden, Rev. Frederick Starr, Jr., Samuel H. Welles, 
 Esq., H. M. Stewart, E^q., Benjamin Joy, and others. The 
 evening was made as light as da}' by the many bon-fires that 
 were kindled, the houses, stores, and shops were generally 
 illuminated, and there was a splendid exhibition of fire- 
 works. 
 
 Bat in the midst of this rejoicing, and on the same even- 
 ing that the streets of Penu Yan were ablaze with illumina- 
 tions, the direful deed that deprived the Nation of her Chief 
 Magistrate was perpetrated in the National Capital. When 
 the news of his tragic death reached Penn Yan the residents 
 were struck with the deepest sorrow. The innumerable flags 
 that were waving to the breeze were half-masted, all business 
 was suspended, and stores and private residences were 
 draped in black. The County Court and Court of Sessions 
 at once adjourned. On the following Sabbath the Rev. Mr. 
 Starr preached' a sermon eulogistic of the late President, the 
 deep pathos of his remarks at times moving the congregation 
 to tears. Imposing funeral ceremonies were observed in 
 this village on Tuesday, April 19th. At eleven o'clock on 
 that day a solemn procession was formed on Main street 
 and moved in the following order : 
 
 *This whipping post was brought from Norfolk, Va., by Sergeant 
 Charles C. Miller, and is now in the Sloan Post room at Penu Yan. 
 
32 
 
 THE MILITAEY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Captain Charles F. Riidgers, Marshal. 
 
 (mounted.) 
 
 Captain Charles Kelly, Aid. Lieutenant George Titus, Aid. 
 
 (mounted.) (mounted.) 
 
 Martial Baud with Muffled Drums. 
 
 (Playing the Dead March.) 
 
 Military Escort, with Arms Reversed, under Command of Captain William 
 
 W. Eastman. 
 
 . Pall Bearers. 
 
 (Civil Officers.) 
 Hon. Henry Welles, 
 Hon. William S. Briggs, 
 Hon. Daniel Morris, 
 John D. Wolcott, Esq., 
 James Burns, Esq., 
 Joseph F. Crosb)', Esq., 
 Alfred Reed, Esq., 
 Lewis B. Graham, Esq. 
 
 FUNERAL 
 
 CAR. 
 
 Pall Bearers. 
 (Military.) 
 Gen. A. F. Whitaker, 
 Gen. George Wagener, 
 Col. B. L. Hoyt, 
 Col. James Conley, 
 Capt. P. K. Deyo, 
 Capt. M. S. Hicks, 
 Capt. Elias V. Ruger, 
 Lieut. S. Hotchkiss. 
 
 [The Funeral Car was beautifully decorated with rosettes of crape and 
 
 draped with a large National Flag, and was drawn by four 
 
 white horses driven by Charles Shearman.] 
 
 Returned Union Soldiers, Charles C. Miller in charge. 
 
 John W. Green, a returned Anderson ville prisoner, in a carriage driven 
 
 by Perley P. Curtis. 
 
 Clergy in Carriage. 
 
 President and Trustees of the Village, in Carriage. 
 
 Masonic Order. 
 
 Citizens in Carriages. 
 
 The processiou proceeded from the place of formation in 
 front of Bash's Hall, (now Cornwell's Opera House,) to Com-t 
 street, thence to Liberty street and down Liberty street to 
 Elm street, thence to Main street and up Main street to the 
 Court House. Park. During the marcli of the processiou 
 minute guns were fired and the church bells tolled. At the 
 Court House Park the exercises commenced by singing by 
 the Methodist Choir of a dirge beginning with the words, 
 " O, Weep Ye for Lincoln," followed l\y an appropriate 
 discourse by the Rev. Daniel 13. Buck. An address was 
 then delivered by the Rev. Frederick Starr, Jr., who, in the 
 course of his remarks, presented the case of the returned 
 Union prisoner, John W. Green (late of Company G, Eighty- 
 fifth Regiment,) whose emaciated form spoke more eloquent- 
 ly than words of the hardship and starvation he had expe- 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 33 
 
 rienced. The Rev. Mr. Buck read a poem entitled "In 
 Memory of Our Beloved President," which was written for 
 the occasion, and Elder John G. Gulick pronounced the bene- 
 diction. The large assemblage, deeply impressed with the 
 solemnities of the day, then dispersed. 
 
 The celebration of the Eighty-ninth Anniversary of Amer- 
 ican Independence, held at Penn Yan, July 4, ISGf), was 
 made by the citizens of Yates County the occasion of a 
 grand reception to the soldiers who had returned from the 
 war. The President of the Day was Captain Peter K. Deyo, 
 of the One Hundred and Second Regiment; the Chief Mar- 
 shal was Captain Martin S. Hicks, of the One Hundred and 
 Forty-eighth Regiment, and his Assistants were Captains 
 Meletiah H. Lawrence, Jr., and Richard A. Bassett, both of 
 the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment. The Chief 
 Marshal and his Assistants led the procession, composed 
 mainly of Veterans, and which was remarkably fine. An at- 
 tractive feature of the parade was the grand National Car, 
 arranged and furnished by George R. Coruwell, and contain- 
 ing thirty-six beautiful young ladies, representing the thirty- 
 six States of the Union. The singing by the young ladies 
 and the music by the bands were all excellent. The exer- 
 cises of the day were observed in the grove on Sheppard 
 street, and were as follows : Prayer by the Rev. J. G. Gulick. 
 Reading of the Declaration of Independence by Prof. Winsor 
 Scofield. Oration by the Rev. Ezekiel G. Robinson, D. D., 
 of Rochester. Benediction by the Rev. Edwin P. Brig- 
 ham. The procession then re-formed and proceeded to the 
 Court House Park, where the ladies of Penn Yan, aided by 
 the generous contributions of the people, had provided a 
 bountiful dinner. The entrance to the Park was decorated 
 with evergreens and inscribed, "Welcome Home," in letters 
 neatly wrought with evergreen leaves. Nearly five hundred 
 soldiers, with many of their wives, partook of the grand re- 
 past so generously set before them, A gorgeous pyrotech- 
 nic display was exhibited on the Fair Grounds in the even- 
 ing. 
 
 A large number of the Yates County soldiers had b}' this 
 time arrived in safety, and more were expected. But many 
 
34 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY, 
 
 of their comrades who went with them to the front never 
 returned. Thej had fallen at Gettysburg and at Lookout 
 Mountain, in the Wilderness and at Cold Harbor, at Peters- 
 burg and in the valley of the Shenandoah. The soldiers of 
 our County, in the different regiments to which they be- 
 longed, performed good and valiant service, and made for 
 themselves a glorious record which is given in the succeed- 
 ing chapters. 
 
CHAPTER 11. 
 
 The Thirty-third Regiment of Infantry. 
 
 ONE of the first regiments to go to the front was the Thir- 
 ty-third New York Vohinteers, which was recruited by 
 companies as follows: A, C, and K" in Seneca County; B in 
 Wayne County; D and H in Ontario County; E and F in 
 Livingston County ; G in Erie County, and I in Yates Coun- 
 ty. The latter Company, which was first known as the "Ke- 
 uka Kifles," arrived in Elmira from Penn Yan on the 18th of 
 May, 1861. Eight of the other companies above mentioned 
 had already arrived in Elmira, then an ordinary place of ren- 
 dezvous for troops going to the front. The officers of these 
 companies had met on May 17th, and decided iipon forming 
 themselves into a regiment, the two other companies after- 
 ward joining them. The organization of the new regiment 
 was rendered complete by the election of officers on the 21st 
 of May. Robert F. Taylor, of Rochester, a gentleman of 
 war- like taste and ability, who had served in Mexico, was ap- 
 pointed Colonel. The other field and staff officers then 
 elected were : Lieutenant-Colonel, Calvin Walker, Geneva ; 
 Major, Robert J. Mann, Seneca Falls ; Adjutant, Charles T. 
 Sutton, New York city ; Quartermaster, H. L. Suydam, Gen- 
 eva; Chaplain, Rev. George N. Chene},!" Rochester; Surgeon, 
 T. Rush Spencer. 
 
 The Thirty-third Regiment, when organized, was assigned 
 
 * Company K, Captain Patrick McGraw, was composed of Irish Vol- 
 unteers. Captain McGraw had previousl)- been for about fifteen jears in 
 the service of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria. He received, on the depart- 
 ure of the Company from Seneca Falls, a beautiful sword, the presenta- 
 tion speech being made by the Rev. Edward McGowan, afterwards pastor 
 of St. Michael's Church, at Penn Yan. 
 
 t Resigned Dec. i, i86i. Afterwards was pastor at Branchport, where 
 he died June 12, 1S63. 
 
36 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 to barracks in Southport,* where it remained until the de- 
 parture for Washington. An interesting event of the sojourn 
 in Ehuira was the reception of a regimental flag from the 
 patriotic ladies of Canandaigua. The regiment, being formed 
 in a hollow square, Mrs. Chesebro, with a few felicitous re- 
 marks, presented the banner to Colonel Taylor, who, in a 
 brief speech, expressed the thanks of himself and command 
 for the beautiful gift, promising that it should never be dis- 
 honored or disgraced. Chaplain Cheney, also in response, 
 delivered an able and eloquent address to the delegation. 
 This flag was made of the finest blue silk, bearing upon one 
 side the coat of arms of the State of New York and on the 
 reverse the seal of the county of Ontario, adopted in 1790. 
 Over the seal appeared In bold gilt letters the words, "On- 
 tario County Volunteers." Surmounting the staff was a 
 highly finished carved eagle with extended pinions, the whole 
 forming one of the most elegant battle-flags ever wrought by 
 fair hands. On the 3d of Jul}' the regiment was mustered 
 by companies into the United States service for two years 
 b}' Captain Sitgreaves, a regular oflicer. Five da^s later the 
 command started for Washington and was assigned on arri- 
 val to Camp Granger, about two and one-half miles from 
 the city. John Gregg Wolcott, of Company I, received (Ju- 
 ly 11th) at Camp Granger the promotion from private to as- 
 sistant surgeon. While the regiment was here encamped, 
 occurred the disastrous battle of Bull Run, which was fought 
 on the 21st of Jul}'. The distant sound of cannon was, all 
 that day, distinctly heard in the camp. Toward evening the 
 Thirty-third, along with several other regiments, received 
 marching orders, but had proceeded no further than the 
 Treasury Department, when the orders were countermanded. 
 William Kiker, Sergeant, Compan}- I, died at Camp Granger 
 on August 28th. t The regiment took up a new position at 
 
 *The barracks were known as No. 5. While quartered here numerous 
 gifts were sent from Penn Yan to the mcnil)ers of Companj- I. A mem- 
 ber of this company, writing home, says, "O, great guns! the bo}-s have 
 just received a lot of apples from Penn Yan and they are trying to raise 
 the roof from the building with their cheers for George H. Lapham." 
 
 t William Riker was the first soldier from Yates County, who died in 
 the service. On Saturday the 31st inst., the remains of Sergeant Riker ar- 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 37 
 
 Camp LyoD, near Chain Bridge, and was here brigaded for 
 the first time, being placed together with the Third Vermont 
 and the Sixth Maine, under the command of General W. F. 
 Smith. On the 3d of September the entire brigade crossed 
 the Long Bridge into Virginia. The Thirty-third first occu- 
 pied Camp Advance, changing soon after for Camp Ethan 
 Allen. While at the latter camp the regiment had its first 
 skirmish with the enemy. Camp Griffin was the next place 
 of residence, and while here occurred at Bailey's Cross- 
 roads a grand review of the army by General McClellan, 
 attended also by President Lincoln and other distinguished 
 personages. James M. Letts resigned December 31st, and 
 was succeeded by Edward E. Root as Captain of Company 
 I.- 
 
 An advance on Richmond along the peninsula, between 
 the York and James rivers, having been decided upon, the 
 Thirty-third Regiment embarked at Alexandria on March 23, 
 1862^!, and proceeded by transport to Fortress Monroe. Com- 
 pany I went, with five other companies of the same regi- 
 ment, on board the steamer Metamora, previously employed 
 on the Hudson River, and the entire command was disem- 
 barked at Old Point Comfort in the forenoon of the follow- 
 ing day. Passing through Hampton, then in ruins, the 
 Thirty-third went into camp about four miles distant on the 
 James River. Yorktownt was invested on the -Itli of April, 
 but hardly had the siege commenced when contrabands 
 brought the intelligence that the enemy had evacuated the 
 place. The Army of the Potomac followed in pursuit of the 
 retreating Confederates, and on Monday, May 5th, was fought 
 the battle of Williamsburg. In the beginning of the action 
 three companies of the Thirty-third (Company A, Captain 
 
 rived in Penu Yan in charge of Samuel R. Tuell, brother-in-law of the de- 
 ceased. A large and impressive funeral was held in the Methodist Epis- 
 copal Church, and the remains were escorted to the cemetery by a special 
 guard of honor, consisting of two companies of local militia and the Penn 
 Yan firemen. 
 
 *At Camp Griffin, William Humphrey and Augustus F. Murdock (pri- 
 vates in Company I) died, the former being accidentally killed. 
 
 t Yorktown had already an historical interest from its being the scene 
 of the surrender of Cornwallis eighty years before. 
 
38 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 George M. Guiou, afterwards Lieuteuant-Colouel of the One 
 Huudred and Fortj-eiglith Regiment, N. Y. V., Company D, 
 Lieutenant George W. Brown commanding ; and Company 
 F, Captain James M. McNair,) with regimental colors and 
 color-guard, were ordered to occupy a redoubt a short dis- 
 tance from the enemy. This was quickly done amid a heavy 
 fire of artillery and musketry, and the beautiful banner re- 
 mained waving from the battlements throughout the fierce 
 conflict, torn and tattered for the first time by shot and shell. 
 Company C, Captain Chester H. Cole; Company E, Captain 
 Wilson E. Warford ; Company H, Captain Alexander H. 
 Drake ; and Company I, Captain Edward E. Root, were de- 
 ployed by Colonel Taylor as skirmishers. The remaining 
 companies of the regiment, (Company B, Captain Josiah J. 
 White ; Company G, Captain Theodore B. Hamilton ; and 
 Company K, an Irish Company, Captain Patrick McGraw,) 
 were stationed on guard duty, under command of Lieuten- 
 ant-Colonel Joseph W. Corning. All day the fight con- 
 tinued, and towards night a sudden and furious attack was 
 made upon Hancock's position, then occupied in part by the 
 Thirty-third. Companies A, D, and F, were ordered out of 
 the redoubt into line of battle, as the Confederates came 
 rushing on, shouting "Bull Run! Bull Run! That flag is 
 ours!" The enemy's flying artillery also moved forward and 
 discharged shot and shell in quick succession. Lieutenant 
 Brown, of Company D, and several other brave men belong- 
 ing to the Thirty-third, had already fallen, mortally 
 wounded ; the cannouiers, with their guns, and members of 
 other regiments, were hurrying back to escape, while the 
 right and left of the Federal line were wavering, and all 
 seemed lost. 
 
 At this critical moment the Lieutenant Colonel, turning to 
 Colonel Taylor, (who had just arrived from the skirmish 
 line,) remarked, " Nothing but a charge can check them." 
 "A charge it shall be," he replied, and waving his sword 
 aloft, shouted, " Forward, men ! " " Charge, bayonets ! " added 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Corning, and the Thirty- third sprang 
 forward on the double (juick, when its gallant action was im- 
 itated by several regiments along the line. Alarmed at this 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 39 
 
 sudden counter-charge, the enemy turned and ran in confu- 
 sion, while the Thirty-third poured volley after volley upon 
 the Confederates as they rapidly retreated over the plain. 
 This daring exploit of the regiment decided the fortunes of 
 the day and chauged a seeming defeat into a substantial vic- 
 tory. Company I, commanded by Captain Root, and which, 
 with Companies C, E, and H, was on the skirmish line at 
 this time, encountered and tired upon a party of Confeder- 
 ates, who, supposing our soldiers to be friends, cried out, 
 "Don't tire, you are shooting your own men." Captain 
 Eoot ordered them to surrender, and they were all made 
 prisoners, much to their surprise and chagrin. One of their 
 officers attempted to escape, but Captain Koot started after 
 him and compelled him to deliver up his sword. Other 
 prisonei-s were taken, in all to the number of forty, when 
 Captain Root, considering that he had his hands full, re- 
 turned to the redoubt with his company of thirty-eight men." 
 Captain Drake, of Company H, unfortunately became sep- 
 arated, in the Avoods, from the rest of the troops, and being 
 surrounded by the enemy, was obliged to surrender with 
 
 *David W. Judd, ill his ''Story of the 33d N. Y. Vols.," says twenty- 
 seven, but he has evidently understated the number. Mr. Peter Mead, of 
 Penn Yan, who, at the time of the battle, was Sergeant in Company I, 
 gives the number as thirty-eight. To give the exact number is a difficult 
 matter, as several belonging to this Company were on guard, or other 
 dut}', or in this hospital. vScrgeant Mead, (to the best of his recollection, 
 as he said,) mentioned the names of the thirty-eight heroes who were on 
 the skirmish line, as follows : Edward E. Root, Captain ; Charles Howe, 
 lyieutenant ; George Brennan. Orderly Sergeant; Peter Mead, David A. 
 Cook, John VV. Durham, Sergeants; Thomas Hunter, Corporal ; Privates, 
 Dorr Barber, Patrick Brennan, Augustus A. Chidsey, Charles Comstock, 
 George W. Corey, James W. Corey, Daniel Dailey, Putnam Demming, 
 James Doyle, William H. Eddy, Charles Gage, John Gordon, Martin 
 Hope, Delos C. Hubbard, William W. Hunt, Eugene Hunt, Charles E. 
 Hyatt, Clement W. Kidder, Michael Mahar, Truman McKinney, Charles 
 Minis, John A. Neary, William F. Pierce. William Plaisted, Greig 
 Quick, Byron F. Randolph, George Reynolds, George Shearman, Morris 
 Shultz, Charles Shuter, George S. Wells, Edwin G. Wheeler, and Menzo 
 Wixson. Other men belonging to the Company were likewise in the 
 battle, but were, as stated above, on detached duty ; among these were : 
 Lieutenant William H. Long, then acting aid-de-camp to the General of 
 the Brigade, and Sergeant Edward S. Rice, who was on duty at the head- 
 quarters of the General of the Division. 
 
40 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 about twenty of his men. He was taken to Richmond and 
 afterwards to Salisbury, N. C, where he remained a prisoner 
 for some months, when he was exchanged and rejoined his 
 regiment in Maryland. 
 
 The night after the battle of Williamsburg, the enemy 
 evacuated the place and its surrounding works, retreating 
 back to the Chickahominy. The members of the Thirty- 
 third slept on their arms, and on the following day went into 
 camp near the York Eiver. On the evening of May 7th, 
 General McClellan rode into camp on his favorite bay 
 charger, "Dan Webster," and thus addressed the regiment 
 while drawn up in line: 
 
 "Officers and soldiers of the Thirty-third: I have come to 
 thank you, in person, for gallant conduct on the field of bat- 
 tle on the 5th inst. I will say to you what I have said to 
 other regiments engaged with you. All did well — did all 
 that I could expect. Bat you did more ; you behaved like 
 veterans ; you are veterans ; veterans of a hundred battles 
 could not have done better. Those on your left fought well ; 
 but you won the day ; you were at the right point, did the 
 right thing, and at the right time. You shall have Williams- 
 burg inscribed on your banner." 
 
 The Thirty-third was next engaged (May 24th) in battle at 
 Mechanicsville, and, during the action, the regiment, to- 
 gether with the Seventy-seventh New York Volunteers, 
 charged upon and routed the opposing force of the enemy. 
 General McClellan had now arrived within a few miles of 
 Richmond, and the capture of that city seemed only a ques- 
 tion of time. But the jealousy and intrigues of certain indi- 
 viduals, high in authority, and the failure to send the needed 
 reinforcements, prevented a successful issue of the campaign. 
 Instead of taking the Confederate capital, McClellan was 
 obliged, in order to save his army from destruction, to effect 
 a change of base to the banks of the James River. Quietly, 
 and without display, he commenced to do this, and though 
 the enemy were very quickly informed, by their spies, of 
 what was going on, they could not at first decide what it 
 meant. At last, however, their suspicions were aroused, and 
 they resolved to fall in overwhelming force on his flank, and 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 41 
 
 cuttiug liiiu oif from his supplies, make au utter eud of the 
 entire army."'^ 
 
 The retreat to the James River having begun, the Thirty- 
 third Regiment, which, since the battle of Mechanicsville 
 had been encamped at Gaines' Farm, moved, and for the 
 purpose of holding the enemy in check, constructed intrench- 
 meuts at Camp Lincoln, (as it was called,) on Golding's 
 Farm, near the Chickahomiuy River. Here, on the 28th of 
 June the capture of the regiment was atteuipted by a power- 
 ful Confederate force, consisting of the Seventh and Eighth 
 Georgia Regiments, but iu the effort the enemy were re- 
 pulsed with great loss. In this action the Thirty-third lost 
 several men, killed, wounded, and prisoners. Among the 
 killed was Lieutenant Moses Cliurch, of Company E, who, 
 while encouraging his comrades by words aud deeds, was 
 struck dead by a minie ball. Captain Theodore B. Hamil- 
 ton, of Company G, was among the prisoners taken by the 
 enemy, but he was soon exchanged and returned to his reg- 
 iment at Harrison's Lauding. The Tliirty-third was highly 
 complimented for its bravery, by General Davidson, (a loyal 
 Virginian,) in his report of the action. A sudden attack 
 made by the Confederates, two days later, at White Oak 
 Swamp, was also successfully resisted. Colonel Taylor then 
 commanded the Third Brigade, (to which the Thirty-third 
 belonged,) the regiment itself being in command of Major 
 John S. Platner. 
 
 On the 1st of July occurred the engagement at Malvern 
 Hill. The Thirty-third was here posted, with others of our 
 forces, among lines of batteries which the Confederates sev- 
 eral times fiercely attacked, but in vain. Charge after 
 charge was made by the enemy, only to be repulsed with 
 fearful slaughter. The determined bravery of the Confed- 
 erates evoked cheers from the Unionists themselves. But 
 to carry the Federal position was b3yond their power. In 
 several instances our infantry withhold their fire until the 
 attacking column, which rushed through the storm of canis- 
 ter and shell from our artillery, had reached within a few 
 yards of our lines. They then poured, in a single volley, 
 
 *Headley's History of the Great Rebellion, Vol. i. 
 
42 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 aud dashed forward with the bayonet, capturing prisoners 
 and colors and driving the ronted cokinins in confusion from 
 the tiekl. The result was complete victory." 
 
 In the afternoon of July 3d, the regiment, which, all 
 through the retreat had formed a portion of the rear guard 
 of the army, reached Harrison's Landing. Afterward, 
 marching to Fortress Monroe, and from there going by trans- 
 port, it arrived and went into camp (August 24tli) at Alex- 
 andria, from there marching through Washington to the bat- 
 tle-field of Antietam. In this tight, which was on the 17th 
 of September, the Thirty-third was foremost in action, losing 
 alone fifty men in killed and wounded. t Among the former 
 was Sergeant-Major George W. Bassett, of Yates County, a 
 brave and popular officer. He was shot through the head, 
 on returning to the front, after having carried Lieutenant 
 Lucius C. Mix, who had been severely wounded, from the 
 field. Lieutenant AVilliam Hale Long, of Company I, was 
 promoted, November 25th, to Assistant Adjutant-General, 
 with the rank of Captain, and on the 1st of December, 
 George Brennan, Orderly-Sergeant of the same Company, 
 was promoted to First Lieutenant. The regiment crossed 
 the Rappahannock on December 12th, on pontoon bridges 
 laid by the Fiftieth New York Engineers, and next day was 
 in the battle of Fredricksburg, where its loss in killed and 
 wounded amounted to over two hundred. Having remained 
 in camp near White Oak Church during the first four 
 months of 1863, the command, on the 2d of May, participated 
 in the storming of Marye's Heights. These were gallantly 
 carried, and on the summit the regimental colors were un- 
 furled in triumph to the breeze. On the charge up the 
 Heights, many of the regiment were killed and wounded, 
 among the latter being Captain Root, of Company I.:|: The 
 
 *McClellau's Owu Story. 
 
 t The wounded in Company I, at the battle of Antietam, were as follows: 
 Sergeant Peter Mead. Privates: Bruen Coole^-, William H. Eddy, Charles 
 Gage, Martin Hope, Charles B. Ouick, George Reynolds, Charles Shuter. 
 
 X In the charge up Marye's Heights, the following, belonging to Com- 
 pany I, were wounded : Captain E. E. Root ; Sergeants, George Shear- 
 man, Putnam Demming ; Corporals, Byron F. Randolph, Menzo Wix- 
 son, Dorr Barber, William Plaistead, Owen Smith ; Privates, Thomas 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 43 
 
 last battle in which the Thirty-third was engaged was Sa- 
 lem Heights, fought May 4th. In this battle, Lieutenant 
 Charles D. Rossiter, of Company D, a young man of great 
 promise, was killed. 
 
 On Tuesday, May 12, 18G3, Colonel Taylor informed the 
 men in his command that, their term of service having then 
 expired, they were to go home on the coming Friday. The 
 order for their departure was accomi)anied by ])arting ad- 
 dresses from the corps, division, and brigade generals, each 
 address containing a graceful acknowledgment of the past 
 services of the regiment. Farewells were uttered by mem- 
 bers of other regiments who had fought side by side with 
 the Thirty-third, and on the 17th of May the regiment ar- 
 rived at Elmira. The Saturday following the Thirty-third 
 came to Geneva, where an address of welcome was delivered 
 by the Hon. Charles J. Folger. A bountiful repast was also 
 served at Camp Swift to the returned soldiers by the ladies 
 of Geneva. On Monday, May 25th, the regiment proceeded 
 to Canandaigua, where a splendid ovation was received 
 from the citizens. The buildings were handsomely decorated 
 with the National colors and triumphal arches spanned the 
 principal streets. The veterans, together with the Canandaigua 
 firemen, formed in procession and marched to the Court House 
 Square, and were here addressed by the Hon. Elbridge G. 
 Lapham. The procession again formed and passed through 
 various streets to the fair grounds, where the regiment per- 
 formed the different evolutions of the manual, exhibited the 
 manner of pitching tents, made a "charge," and went 
 through with other numerous military exercises, which elic- 
 ited rounds of applause from the lookers on. J. P. Faurot, 
 Esq., made a brief speech of congratulation, to which Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Corning responded. Colonel Taylor then 
 returned to the ladies of Canandaigua the regimental banner 
 received from them two years before. Handing the flag to 
 the committee, he remarked that it had been given to his 
 
 Conway, James W. Corej', George W. Corey, (mortally,) James Doyle, 
 William H. Eddy, Eugene Hunt, William W. Hunt, William Johnson, 
 (mortally,) Hackett Merritt, George Reynolds, Jeremiah E. Sprague, 
 Charles Shuter, George S. Wells, Edwiu G. Wheeler. 
 
44 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 command with the pledge that it should never be sullied by 
 cowardice or a dishonorable act, and it had never been. It 
 was a beautiful flag when presented to the regiment, but was 
 now torn and oiled, but to him and the regiment it was all 
 the dearer. He had no doubt it would be dearer to those who 
 gave it, as a relic of the bravery and patriotism of the men 
 of the Thirty-third, who, when he assumed command, were 
 eight hundred strong, but now less than four hundred re- 
 mained. On receiving back the banner the ladies presented 
 an address, which was read by A. H. Howell, Esq. A parting 
 speech to the regiment was delivered by Chaplain Augustus 
 H. Lung. A sumptuous banquet, served at the Canandaigua 
 House by the ladies of the village, concluded the ceremony. 
 The same evening the Thirty-third returned to Geneva, and 
 on Tuesday, June 2, 1863, was assembled on the green in 
 front of the barracks by Captain Beirne, of the regular army, 
 and there mustered by companies out of the service. 
 
 On the 20th of June a grand reception was given at Penu 
 Yan to the members of Company I. Led by Lieutenant 
 Brennan, as senior officer, they marched to the sound of 
 martial music through the principal streets, and were served 
 with a collation at the Benhani House. The flag which had 
 been presented to the company two years before was now 
 returned to the ladies of Penn Yan, and appropriate ad- 
 dresses were made by the Hon. D. A. Ogden and the Rev. 
 Frederick Starr, Jr. Several who had belonged to. Company 
 I, and to other companies in the Thirty-third Regiment, 
 subsequently rcenlisted in other commands. 
 
 The following is the muster-in roll of Company I of the 
 Thirty-third Regiment, added to which is a list of the regi- 
 mental and line officers at the time of the muster-out : Offi- 
 cers — James M. Letts, Captain; Edward E. Root,t First 
 Lieutenant; William H. Long, Second Lieutenant; Charles 
 Howe, First Sergeant; AVilliam Riker,.!: Edward S. Rice, 
 Henry Atwater, Sergeants ; Richard J. Harford, Peter Mead,t 
 David A. Cook, John W. Durham, Corporals ; John 01iver,§ 
 Damon Morse, Musicians ; Privates : Joseph Agins,§ David 
 Akins,§ Patrick Ambrose,t John Ashley, George Brennan,. 
 
 tWoiiucled. jDied. g Deserted. 
 
THE MILITAKY HISTOKY OF YATES COUNTY. 45 
 
 George W. Bassett,* Patrick Brennan, Daniel G. Baker, 
 Dorr Barber,t Charles Bishop, Charles Brown, Freeman M. 
 Brazee, Cornelius Bouney,^ Bruen Coolej,t Charles Corn- 
 stock, George W. Corey,^" James W. Corey,!" Augustus A. 
 Chidsey, Charles E. Chapman,! Tiiomas Conway, t Daniel 
 Dailey, John R. Davis, James Doyle, t William Decker, Put- 
 nam Demming,t William H. Eddy,t Henry Escott, James 
 Furner, William Foster, Charles Forshay, John Forshay,§ 
 Sylvester Fredenburg,§ Charles Gage,!' John Gordon, Lewis 
 B. Holmes,!: Martin Hope,t Thomas Hunter, Lewis G. Hor- 
 ton,;}: William Humphrey,;}: Eugene Hunt,!" William W. Hunt,!" 
 Delos C. Hubbard, Charles E. Hyatt, William Johnson,"' Cle- 
 ment W. Kidder, William H. Kean, Michael Mahar, Truman 
 McKinney, Charles McConnell, Hackett Merritt,!" Patrick 
 MulHgan, Charles Millis, Augustus F. Murdock,:}: George Mad- 
 den,§ John Newlove, John E. Neary, Christopher Nash, 
 William F. Pierce, William Plaisted,t Greig Quick,:}: Charles 
 B. Quick, !" Oliver Raplee, George Reynolds,!" Byron F. Ran- 
 dolph,!" Henry Reppinger, William B. Rogers, George 
 Shearman,! Lewis Shaw, Richard Strong, Jeremiah E. 
 Sprague,!" Charles Shuter, !" Edward Singleton, AVilliam V. 
 R. Sloan, Morris Sliidtz, Abuer Stetler,§ Menzo Wixson,t 
 John G. Wolcott, George S. Wells,!" Peter S. Wheaton, Ed- 
 win G. Wheeler,!" John Woodruff, Hiram Whitney, George 
 Youngs. 
 
 Regimental and line officers — Colonel, Robert F. Taylor; 
 Lieutenant-Colonel, Joseph W. Corning ; Major, John S. 
 Platner; Adjutant, John AV. Corning; Quartermaster, Henr}' 
 N. Alexander; Chaplain, Augustus H. Lung; Surgeon, 
 D'Estaing Dickinson ; Assistant Surgeon, Duncan Mac- 
 Lacklin. 
 
 Company A — Captain, Edwin J. Tyler; First Lieutenant, 
 Prince Wesley Bailey; Second Lieutenant, Thomas H. Sib- 
 balds; Company B — Captain, Henry J. Draime; First 
 Lieutenant, Lucius C. Mix; Second Lieutenant, John J. 
 Carter; Company C — Captain, Chester H. Cole; First Lieu- 
 tenant, Robert H. Brett; Second Lieutenant, James E. 
 Stebbings; Company D — Captain, Henry J. Gifford; Second 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. jDied. g Deserted. 
 
46 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Lieutenant, William E. Roach ; Company E — Captain, Wil- 
 son E. Warfoid ; First Lieutenant, John Glimmer; Company 
 F — Captain, James M. McNair; First Lieutenant, Henry A. 
 Hills; Second Lieutenant, John F. Winship; Company G — 
 Captain, George A. Gale; First Lieutenant, George W. 
 Marshall; Second Lieutenant, Byron F. Crain; Company H 
 — Captain, Alexander H. Drake; First Lieutenant, Otis Cole ; 
 Second Lieutenant, Sylvester Porter; Company I — Captain, 
 Edward E. Root; First Lieutenant, George Brennan ; Com- 
 pany K — Captain, Patrick McGraw; First Lieutenant, Bar- 
 nard Bja'ne; Second Lieutenant, Edward Carey. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 The First Regiment Uuiteil States Sharpshooters— The Third, Twenty- 
 third, and Thirty-fourth Regiments, Infantry. 
 
 THE FIRST UNITED STATES SHARPSHOOTERS. 
 
 COLONEL (afterwards General) Hiram Berdan received 
 authority from tLe War Department, June 15, 1861, to 
 recruit a regiment of sharpshooters. To this regiment the State 
 of New York furnished four companies. A, B, D, and H, and 
 later on recruits. J. Smith Brown," of Yates County, aided 
 efficiently in recruiting this regiment, in which he for a time 
 held the rank of Adjutant. (He afterwards became Ad- 
 jutant and then Major in the One Hundred and Twenty- 
 sixth Regiment, New York Volunteers.) Berdan's Sharp- 
 shooters (as they were commonly called) served with the 
 Army of the Potomac in detachments, and as one organiza- 
 tion in the Second, Third, and principally in the Fifth 
 Corps. They participated during their term of service in 
 the following engagements: Howard's Mills, Yorktown, 
 Hanover Court House, Fair Oaks, Charles City Cross Roads, 
 Malvern Hill, Gainesville, Second Bull Run, Antietam, 
 Blackman's Ford, Shepardstowu, Fredericksburg, Chancel- 
 lorsville, Gettysburg, Wapping Heights, Auburn, Kelly's 
 Ford, Locust Grove, Mine Run, Wilderness, Po River, and 
 in front of Petersburg. 
 
 The First Sharpshooters are classed by Fox among the 
 "Three Hundred Fighting Regiments,"t or those that suffered 
 the greatest losses in battle. In the beginning of 18G3 the 
 
 *On August 26, rS6r, J. Smith Brown (at that time Orderly Sergeant) 
 came to Penn Yan, and, after enlisting William Elmendorf and other re- 
 cruits, delegated Lieutenant Elmendorf as recruiting officer. The Yates 
 County Chronicle of the previous 22d inst., in announcing the coming of 
 Orderly-Sergeant Brown, said: "Those who know how to handle a gun 
 will find this a capital regiment to belong to. The legions of Jeff. Davis 
 will stand clear when these boys get a crack at them." 
 
 t " Regimental losses in the Civil War" by William F. Fox, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel, United States Volunteers. 
 
48 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 regiuient became consolidated with the Second Sharpshoot- 
 ers, and both were divided into three battalions, commanded 
 by Colonel Berdan. The First and Second Sharpshooters 
 were at that time brigaded with the Twelfth New Hampshire 
 .and One Hundredth Pennsylvania, as the Second Brigade of 
 the First Division of the Fifth Corps. In the summer of 
 that year Colonel Berdan succeeded to the command of this 
 brigade. 
 
 Company B, Captain Stephen Martin, was recruited in 
 part in Yates County by William Elmendorf, the Second 
 Lieutenant. The Yates County recruits left Penn Yan on 
 Friday noon, November 29, 18G1, for Elmira, where they 
 were mustered on the same day into the service of the United 
 States for three 3'ear.s. From Elmira they went on to Wash- 
 ington and the front. The following were the Y'^ates Count}^ 
 enlistments in Company B : 
 
 William Elmendorf, Second Lieutenant ; William H. Cliid- 
 se3% Jr., Orderly Sergeant; Privates George M. Barber, Ed- 
 win Beebe, Nelson Bennett, Charles M. Bogart, Robert 
 Bogart, John W. Irwin Chidsey," Lewis Boyce, Harrison 
 DeLong, James Densmore, George H. Downey, James 
 Drake, Gideon Bateman Draper, Franklin B. Ellwood, George 
 H. Gannon, David D. Gannon, John Gannon, Henry Gan- 
 non, Aaron Y"^. Gregory,* George Griswold, Thaddeus M. 
 Hadden, Michael Hallon, Egbert C. Hopkins, Ward Kellogg, 
 Levi Ketchum, Henrj- Mapes, David Philbrook, John Phil- 
 brook, Russell H. Rarrick, Nelson Rector, James C. Robin- 
 son, George Russell, Lyman Savage, William M. Simmons, 
 John B. Smith, William H. Stapleton, Joseph Stoakes, 
 James H. Warner, Benjamin F. Warner. 
 
 Company H : John Cooley, private. 
 
 THE THIRD REGIMENT. 
 
 The Third Regiment of infantry, known as the Albany 
 Regiment, was one of the first regiments to enter the service. 
 It was organized at Albany, and, under command of Colonel 
 Frederick Towusend, left tlie State May 31, 1801. The reg- 
 iment was first stationed at and near Fortress Monroe, and 
 
 *Died in service. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 49 
 
 participated in the battle of Big Bethel on the lOtli of June. 
 Afterwards, in Mansfield's Division, served at Suffold, Ya., 
 during the greater part of 18G2. The time of enlistment of 
 Company K of this regiment expired in 1863, and the mem- 
 bers of this company (among whom were several from Yates 
 County) were, with members of other companies, mustered 
 out at Alban}' on the 21st of May of that year. A number, 
 however, re-enlisted, and served to the end of the war. The 
 Third Regiment, as re-organized, took part in the military 
 operations in Charleston harbor, also with the Army of the 
 James against Petersburg and Richmond, and with Sherman 
 in the campaign of the Carolinas. The regiment, then com- 
 manded by Lieutenant-Colonel George W. Warren, was 
 mustered out at Raleigh, N. C, August 28, 1805. 
 
 Company K, Captain John E. Mulford, contained the fol- 
 lowing recruits from Yates County : Barnett W. Baker, 
 John Wesley Cleveland, John A. Dickerson,"'"' Gideon B. 
 Draper, Hiram Embree, Charles D. Holmes, Abraham Ken- 
 nedy, Silas Lawrence, Charles W. Lewis, Ezekiel Noble, 
 John D. Rohde, William Smith, Samuel Tupper.* 
 
 THE TWENTY-THIRD REGIMENT. 
 
 The Twenty-third Regiment of infantry. Colonel Henry C. 
 Hoffman commanding, was organized at Elmira, and there 
 mustered into the United States service for two years, July 
 2, 1861. The regiment left the State on the 5th, and served 
 in Yirginia and Maryland, taking part in the following bat- 
 tles : Near Falls Church, Munson Hill, Ball's Cross Roads 
 (from August 14 to September 14, 1861), Bowling Green Road, 
 and Orange C. H. (May 18 and July 10, 1861. In General 
 Pope's campaign, at the battles of Sulphur Springs, Gaines- 
 ville, Groveton, Second Bull Run, and Fairfax C. H. (from 
 August 26 to 31), Smith Mountain (September 14), Antietam 
 (September 17), and Fredericksburg (December 11 to 15, 
 1862). The Twenty-third Regiment, commanded by Colonel 
 Hoffman, with Lieutenant-Colonel Niram M. Crane,t of 
 Yates County, second in command, was honorably dis- 
 charged and mustered out at Elmira, May 22, 1863. 
 
 *Died in service. 
 
 t Afterwards Colonel of the 107th Regiment. 
 
50 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 The following recruits from Yates Couutj were in Com- 
 pany F, Twenty-third Regiment : Privates, John W. Austin, 
 James Criscadon, William Criscadon, William H. Dunn, 
 Charles G, Lewis, Oscar Nelson, Ira M. Slawson. 
 
 Company D — Herman C. Howell, Corporal. 
 
 Company F — Isaac Verian, private. 
 
 Company I — William R. Paulding, private. 
 
 Company K — Rodney W. Steele, Ensign. 
 
 THE THIRTY-FOURTH REGIMENT. 
 
 The Thirty-fourth Regiment of infautr}'. Colonel William 
 LaDue, was organized at Albany, and was there mustered 
 (June 15, 1861,) into the service of the United States for two 
 years. The regiment left the State on the 3d of July, and 
 during the remainder of the year 18G1 served at and near 
 Washington, being engaged in skirmishes with the enemy at 
 Seneca Mills and at Draiusville, Md., and at Goose Creek, 
 Va., in • September and October. The regiment was at the 
 siege of Yorktown (April 5 to May 4, 1862), in action at 
 Tyler House (May 29th), at the battle of Fair Oaks (May 
 31st), at White House (June 16th), and during the Seven 
 Days' battles (June 25th to July 21st.) It then took part in 
 the battle of Autietam (September 17th) and at Fredericksburg 
 (December 11th to 15th), was at the storming of Marye's 
 Heights (May 3d), and engaged at Salem Church (May 4th). 
 The Thirty-fourth Regiment, .then under Colonel Bjron 
 Laflin, was mustered out at Albany, June 30, 1863. 
 
 The following were the Yates County enlistments in Com- 
 pany I, Thirty-fourth Regiment: Alfred T. Attwood, First 
 Lieutenant; John Finegau, First Sergeant; Lemuel C. Ben- 
 ham, Second Sergeant; Privates Harrison Clark, Orlando M. 
 Crowfoot, David Finegan, George C. Leddick, James E- 
 Northrup, James A. McCarrick, Frederick B. St. John, 
 Jacob Spears. 
 
CHAPTEK IV. 
 
 The Forty-Fourth Regiment of Infantry. 
 
 THE Forty-fourth Regiment, New York Volunteers, which 
 was also known as the People's Ellsworth Pegimeut, or 
 the Ellsworth Avengers, was at first recruited under the au- 
 spices of the Ellsworth Association of the State of New York. 
 The original plan was to obtain from every ward or town of 
 the State one man. This plan was not adhered to, but later 
 more than one enlistment was allowed to each, and the 
 counties of Albany and Erie furnished each one company. 
 The men reported individuall}' at Albany, where the regi- 
 ment, then commanded by Colonel Stephen W. Stryker, was 
 organized under orders from the State, dated Oct. 15, 1861.* 
 The regiment left the State Oct. 21st, and, as originally or- 
 ganized, served through the campaign on the Peninsula, and 
 also in General Pope's campaign (April 5th to Sept. 15, 
 1862). On Sept. 20, 1862, Companies C and E were merged 
 into the others, composing the regiment, and replaced by 
 new companies, recruited at Albany Oct. 21st. New Com- 
 pany C was raised in Yates County and was at first Com- 
 pany M of the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment. 
 The line ofiicers of this company were : Captain, Bennett L. 
 Munger ; First-Lieutenant, Elzer B. James ; Second-Lieuten- 
 ant, Charles Kell3\ New Company E was also known as 
 the Normal School Company. The two companies went 
 from Albany to Washington, from Washington to Harper's 
 Ferry, and united with the Forty-fourth Regiment on the 
 battle-field of Antietam. 
 
 The Forty-fourth, when re-organized by the addition of 
 the new Companies C and E, and as attached to the Third 
 Brigade, First Division, Fifth Corps, of the Army of the Po- 
 tomac, took a prominent part in the battle of Fredericksburg 
 on the 13th of December, 1862. In this engagement, having 
 
 *Ne\v York in the War of the Rebellion. 
 
52 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 crossed the Rappahannock on pontoon bridges, the regiment 
 participated in the nnsnccessful assault on the works in the 
 rear of the town. In this attack the Forty-fourth lost sev- 
 eral men, killed and wounded. It was next in action at 
 Chancellorsville (May 2d and 3d, 18G8 ), and after this battle 
 returned to the place of encampment, opposite Fredericks- 
 burg. On this camping-ground the Forty-fourth remained 
 until the middle of June, when the whole army commenced 
 its march northward along the east side of the Blue Ridge 
 and South Mountains. The march was for the purpose of 
 again engaging Lee's army, Avhich was rapidly advancing up 
 the Shenandoah Valley in the same direction. While on 
 the march a Confederate force was encountered, June 2l8t, 
 near Middleburg, Va. The country around Middleburg was 
 full of stone walls, and behind these the enemy's sharp- 
 shooters were posted. The Forty-fourth regiment was 
 formed in line of battle, and here gave noble assistance in 
 dislodging and driving back the foe. The discomfiture of 
 the Confederates was rendered complete, when, by a cavalry 
 charge, in which Custer was particularly distinguished, the 
 opposing cavalry were routed, and the whole force driven 
 through Ashby's Gap back into the Shenandoah Valley. 
 The Forty-fourth, continuing its march, crossed the Potomac 
 at Edward's Ferry into Maryland. At Monocacy Junction, 
 in this State, the order superseding General Hooker in com- 
 mand of the Army of the Potomac by General Meade was 
 read to the regiment. The army marched rapidly on to 
 Gettysburg, where Lee had already concentrated his forces. 
 It was evident that a great and decisive battle was at hand. 
 Marching on through the night of July 1st, the Fort}'- 
 fourtli Regiment arrived the following morning on the battle- 
 field and was stationed at Little Round Top. A fierce and 
 impetuous assault was soon made on both Great and Little 
 Round Top by Longstreet's Corps. The action was sharp 
 and warm, but, in spite of the utmost efforts of the enemy, 
 the Unionists, held these positions until the close of the bat- 
 tle.* At one o'clock in the afternoon of the 3d, commenced 
 
 * At Gettysburg, the Forty-fourth Regimeut was coniiuauded by Colonel 
 James C. Rice. During the second day's battle Colonel Rice, having 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY, 53 
 
 a most tremendous cannonade, the neighboring hills being 
 shaken with the thunders of over two hundred heavy guns. 
 For over two hours the cannonade continued, and then the 
 Southerners made a grand charge in a column nearly three 
 miles long. The charge, however, was valiantly met, and 
 the Forty-fourth aided grandly in the repulse of the 
 enemy. The loss sustained by the regiment in these two 
 days' fighting at Gettysburg was Captain Lucius S. Larrabee, 
 Lieutenant Eugene L. Dunham, and twenty-seven enlisted 
 men killed, and five officers and seventy-seven enlisted men 
 wounded," while Lieutenant Benjamin F. Thomas and ten 
 enlisted men were wounded mortally. On the night of the 
 4:th the Confederates commenced their retreat to the Poto- 
 mac. Their intention had evidently been to capture Wash- 
 ington, and perhaps dictate terms of peace at Philadelphia 
 or New York.f The bravery and patriotism of the Forty- 
 fourth and of other regiments in the Union Army had 
 brought about an altogether diiBferent result. 
 
 After the retreat of the enemy from Gettysburg, the Forty- 
 fourth Regiment crossed the Potomac at Berlin and took 
 part on the 12th of July, with other forces, in a skirmish at 
 
 taken command of the Third Brigade, headed a bayonet charge against 
 the enemy, the 20th Maine leading. The Confederates, who had got pos- 
 session of a part of Little Round Top, were repulsed with great slaugh- 
 ter, their artillery captured, and the 20th Maine took more prisoners than 
 they themselves numbered men. 
 
 *In the Vaies County Chronicle, of July 9th, 1863, was the following 
 reference to Company C, Forty-fourth Regiment : " This gallant company, 
 commanded by Captain Bennett L. Munger, reports several casualties in 
 the late battle. The Captain himself is said to be wounded in the hip, 
 but not seriously. Of the privates, Richard McEUigott, of Torrey, and 
 Frank Griswold, of Italy, are reported killed. M. F. Graham, of Italy, 
 James Dansingburg, of Barrington, W. W.Smith, of Jerusalem, R. C. 
 Phillips, of Milo, and George W. Hobart, of Potter, are reported 
 wounded. Lieutenant Charles Kelly writes home that he is safe and 
 unhurt. The Forty-fourth Regiment has seen heavy service. 
 
 P. S. Captain Munger came home last evening. He received a wound, 
 as indicated by the earliest report, but, owing to his jack-knife in his 
 pocket, his life was saved, though the knife wtis ruined. The gallant 
 Captain looks as though he had seen hard times, but, we doubt not, will 
 come out all right yet." 
 
 t Barnes' History of the United States. 
 
54 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Jones' Cross Roads, Va., and also participated in engage- 
 ments at Bristow Station, Oct, 14th, at Rappahannock Sta- 
 tion, Nov. 7th, and in the Mine Run Campaign, from Nov. 
 26th to Dec. 2d. The Forty-fourth had expected to find 
 quarters for the winter at Rappahannock Station, and huts 
 were being erected at that place when orders were received 
 for the regiment to repair to Alexandria. Here the Forty- 
 fourth was detailed to guard the trains running between this 
 venerable town and Brandy Station, where a depot of sup- 
 plies had been established. The regiment acted in that 
 capacity until the opening of the Wilderness campaign in 
 May, 1864. Having crossed the Rapidan, the Forty-fourth 
 was in action in the battle of the Wilderness, and also at 
 Spottsylvania, Piney Branch Church, Laurel Hill, North 
 Anna, and Tolopotomy, from the 5th to the 31st of May, 
 losing in these engagements Captain Seth F. Johnson and 
 thirty-two enlisted men, killed, and six officers and eighty- 
 three enlisted men, wounded. The regiment then added to 
 its noble record the battle of Cold Harbor (June 1st to 
 17th), including the fight at Bethesda Church on the 2d and 
 3d, the assault of Petersburg (June 16th to lOtli), the tak- 
 ing of the Weldou Railroad (Aug. 18tli to 21st), and the en- 
 gagement at Poplar Spring Church (Sept. 30th to Oct. 2d). 
 
 The companies originally composing the regiment were 
 mustered out at Albany, Oct. 11, 1864. The field and staflp 
 officers of the Forty-fourth Regiment at the time of the 
 muster-out were as follows : Colonel, Freeman Connor : 
 Lieutenant-Colonel, Edward B. Knox; Major, Campbell 
 Allen; Adjutant, George B. Herendeen; Quartermaster, 
 Frederick R. Mundy; Surgeon, Morris W. Townsend; As- 
 sistant-Surgeon, D. Carleton Spencer; Chaplain, Cyrus S. 
 Crane. 
 
 Company I, Avhen mustered out, was commanded by Lieu- 
 tenant Charles Kelly, who had previously received a Cap- 
 tain's commission, but had not mustered in as such. The 
 men whose term of service had not expired, including those 
 belonging to new Company C, were, on the 23d of Septem- 
 ber, formed into a battalion, which, on the 11th of October, 
 was transferred to the One Hundred and Fortieth New York 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 55 
 
 Vohiuteers aud the One Hundred and Fortj-sixth New York 
 Volunteers. The members of new Company C were among 
 the troops that were merged into the former regiment. After 
 this transfer this company took part, with the remainder of 
 the regiment, in the battle of Hatchers' Run (Oct. 27th), 
 also in the engagements of White Oak Ridge (March 
 29, 1865), aud Five Forks (April 1), and followed up 
 the pursuit of Lee until his surrender at Appomattox. 
 The One Hundred and Fortieth Regiment then came to 
 Washington and encamped on Arlington Heights. Here it 
 was mustered out June 3, 1865, with the exception of certain 
 soldiers who had yet some weeks to serve. Among these 
 the members of new Company C were included, and on the 
 following day they left Washington and went by way of Bal- 
 timore and Philadelphia to New York City, and were sta- 
 tioned on Hart's Island, in the harbor. They here remained 
 until the 21st of August, when they were mustered out, re- 
 ceiving on that day their final pay and discharge. 
 
 Muster-in roll of Company C of the Forty-fourth Regi- 
 ment: 
 
 Bennett L. Munger.t Captain ; Elzer B. James, First- 
 Lieutenant; Charles Kelly,t Second-Lieutenant; Orette L. 
 Munger,t First-Sergeant; Royal G. Kiuuer,t George E. 
 Henderson, § Samuel J. Powell, and John O'Neil, Sergeants; 
 S. Harvey Ackley, Fred D. Hills, Robert F. Shipley, Charles 
 Pelton, Matthew Fitzpatrick, George W. Hobart,t James 
 Barrow,t and Elnathan Mead,t Corporals ; John T. Johnsont 
 aud Sylvanus Eaton, Musicians; James Powell, Wagoner; 
 Privates, William Adams, Edgar Adams, Dewitt C. Bassett, 
 Samuel Covell, Philo H. Conklin, A. James Cole,t William 
 Criscadon, Thomas Donnelly, Stephen T. Dye,:}: John Devlin, 
 Cyrus H. Davis, § James Dausenburg,t AVilliam Elwell, 
 George W. Fraucisco,t Joseph H. Fletcher,:]: Walter E. 
 Furner,t Thomas Finucan, Marion F. Graham, t Emory C. 
 Green, t Josiah H. Gardner,* Frances M. Griswold,* Andrew 
 A. Giddiugs,t John K. Giddings,t Peter Haines, t Moses F. 
 Hardy, William A. Herrick,t Norman Harrington, Andrew J. 
 Horton, Harrington Houghton, Peter H. Hibbard, George 
 
 *Killed. tWouuded. t Died, j^ Deserted. 
 
56 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 R. Huuter,t James H. Mandeville, John McGlaughliD, 
 Elisha Moon, Fred Mitchell, John McGough, John E. Mc- 
 Bride,§ Richard McEllioott,* David O. Mapes,t Phihp 
 Morse, William N. Norris,"^' Lucius L. Osgood,t William 
 O'Neil, Daniel O'Neil, Richard C. Phillips, t Alexander Per- 
 ry, t Clark Reynolds, James Rowell, George C. Raymond,t 
 Peter J. Strail, Reuben Sisson, Thomas R. Southerby,* 
 Hiram M. Squires, George W. Snyder,:^ Albert Sturde- 
 vant, Jacob Stroup, Noah H. Shultz,t William W. Smith, t 
 Myron Smith, Jacob Traver, Charles W. Taylor, Pat- 
 rick Tobin,t George W. Wing, Orrin E. Watkins,t Albert 
 W. West,t Jerome Wheaton,t Martin R. Westcott, Alden 
 D. Whitney. In Company E, George B. Wolcott.* 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. jDied. | Deserted. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Seventy-sixth, Eighty-fifth, Ninety-seventh, One Hundred and Sec- 
 ond, and One Hundred and Fifth Regiments Infantry. 
 
 THE SEVENTY-SIXTH REGIMENT. 
 
 THE Seventy-sixth Regiment, Colonel Nelson W. Green, 
 was recruited mainly in Cortland County. The different 
 companies composing the regiment contained, however, men 
 from the counties of Allegany, Chenango, Madison, Otsego, 
 Schoharie, Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates, the recruits from the 
 last named county being in Companies A and E." On the 
 17th day of January, 1862, the regiment left the State for 
 the front. Its first engagement was at Locust Grove, Va., 
 (May 5th.) The Seventy-sixth Regiment then took part in 
 General Pope's campaign, and afterwards participated in 
 the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, 
 Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, 
 Cold Harbor, the assault of Petersburg, the taking of the 
 Weldou Railroad, Poplar Grove Church, and Hatcher's Run. 
 The several companies in the Seventy-sixth were mustered 
 out in the fall and winter of 1864, the members of Company 
 A being honorably discharged on the 11th of October, and of 
 Company E on the 18th of November. In Companies A 
 and E were the following citizens of Yates County : 
 
 Company A — Herschell W. Pierce, Second Lieutenant (af- 
 terwards promoted to Captain) ; Privates, George A. Allen, 
 Theodore Beach, Marvin O. Byington, William Condon, [j: 
 Lyman Culver, Benjamin F. Carpenter, f Martin P. Camp- 
 
 * In October, i86i, Herschell W. Pierce recruited twenty-five men in 
 Starkey and Harrington and took them to the camp of the 76th Regi- 
 ment New York Volunteers, then forming at Cortland, and, with his 
 men, was mustered into the United States service as a private soldier. 
 He was promoted to Second-Lieutenant Jan. 13, 1862, to First-Lieutenant 
 March ii, 1862, and to Captain Dec. 20, 1862. He was mustered out at 
 Yellow Tavern, Va., Oct. 11, 1864. 
 
 t Killed, t Deserted. 
 
58 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 bell,| Samuel Higgins, Alonzo Harris, Albert L. Hilton," 
 Jesse Hougbtalingjt Charles E. Stamp.* 
 
 Company C — George S. Wells, private. 
 
 Company E — James B. Busb, George Bush, William A. 
 Comford, Marcellus Finch, Edgar D, Haviland, Emmet 
 Houghtailiug, Samuel H. Ives, Edward Kelly, Alanson Pot- 
 ter, George Steadwell, Alonzo Seward, Walter Wood. 
 
 THE EIGHTY-FIFTH REGIMENT. 
 
 The Eighty-fifth Regiment of Infantry, Colonel Uriah L. 
 Davis, was organized November 7, 1861, at Elmira, from 
 which place it started (December 3d) for Washington, and 
 Avas there attached to the Third Brigade of the Second Di- 
 vision (commanded by General Silas Casey) of the Fourth 
 Corps of the Army of the Potomac. In the spring and sum- 
 mer of 1862 the regiment took part in the more important 
 battles of the Peninsular Campaign, including the Seven 
 Days' Retreat (April 17th to July 1st.) It was then ordered 
 to Suffolk, Va.; from there to New Berne, N. C, and became 
 part of the First Brigade, General Hunt, of the Second Di- 
 vision, General Wessells, in the Department of the South, 
 and, under the chief command of General J. G. Foster, took 
 part in the campaigns of 186'2-'63-'64 in North Carolina, 
 participating in the following engagements: Kinston, 
 Whitehall, Goldsboro, Williamstou, (December 11 to 27, 
 '62,} New Berue, Nixontou, Blouut's Creek, Little Washing- 
 ton, Free Bridge, Williamston, Chowan (March 14 to July 
 28, '63), Hanellsville (January 20, '(M), and Plymouth (April 
 17 to 20, '64.) In this last engagement a portion of General 
 Wessell's Division was, by a large force of the enemy, sur- 
 rounded, overpowered, and obliged to surrender. § Among 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded, t Deserted. 
 
 § During this battle the regiment, with the other forces forming the 
 garrison, were stationed in the town of Plymouth, on the Roanoke river. 
 The Confederates attacked in overwhelming numbers on the lyth, and on 
 the 19th sent down the river an iron-clad ram called the " Albemarle," 
 which sunk two gun-boats belonging to our fleet, thus cutting off the 
 Federal line of retreat. By a succession of charges the enemy got inside 
 the intrenchments, which were, however, bravely defended, until all 
 hope was gone of any further defense, when the garrison laid down 
 their arms. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 59 
 
 the troops that surreudered were the members of the Eighty- 
 fifth Regiment, with the exception of those belonging to 
 Company A, who were on detached duty on Roanoke Ishmd. 
 After the surrender they were marched seventy miles to Tar- 
 boro, N. C, and were then transferred in box cars to Ander- 
 sonville, Ga.* They were there imprisoned five months, one 
 month at Charleston, and two months at Florence, enduring 
 all this time starvation and hardship, but at length received 
 their paroles, agreeing not to take up arms against the Con- 
 federate government for one hundred days, unless regularly 
 exchanged. The released soldiers afterwards combined with 
 the members of Company A, who had remained in service, 
 and were together mustered out at Mosby Hall, N. C, July 
 15, 1865. 
 
 Company G, commanded at first by Captain John Raines, 
 took part with the remainder of the regiment in its various 
 battles, and was included in the surrender at the battle of 
 Plymouth. When the battle occurred, the company was 
 under command of Lieutenant John A. Lafler, of Yates 
 County. In Company G were the following officers and 
 men from this county : 
 
 George M. Muuger,t First Lieutenant; Alonzo S. Miller,^ 
 Orderly Sergeant; John A. Lafler, Sergeant (promoted to 
 First Lieutenant) ; George Haiuer, John G. Watkins,;|: Cor- 
 porals ; John B. Ingles, musician ; Privates, George W. 
 Barnes, Erastus Bucklin, George Black, John Betram, 
 Joseph S. Crouch, Alexander P. Campbell, Frank Danes, 
 Martin Davis, James Dougherty, Benjamin Gay,:j: Patrick 
 Gill, John W. Green, Wiliam W. Hibbard, David Martin 
 Inscho,]: George B. Ingles, Amos Jones, Hazard Jones, 
 Samuel Lurch, Henry McGlaughlin, Henry Norman, 
 George J. Odell, Orrin Shearman, George S. Wells. 
 
 Died in Andersonv'dle. — Privates Andrew Carmer, Chester 
 Ellis, Joseph Finger. 
 
 *The privates taken iu this battle were, as above stated, confined at 
 first in Andersonville, bnt the officers were confined at Macon. After 
 about three months the officers were transferred to Savannah. From 
 there they went to Charleston, from Charleston to Columbia, and from 
 Columbia to Charlotte, where they were paroled. 
 
 j Killed, t Wounded. 
 
60 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Died in Charleston. — Joseph D. Tiuuey, Corporal ; Aaron 
 Beard, private. 
 
 Died in Florence. — Ebenezer lusclio, wagoner; Privates 
 Kobert R. Briggs, Hiram Corey. 
 
 Died in Waahington. — Privates Nelson Bogart, Nelson 
 Matthews. 
 
 Died in Annapolis. — Ebenezer Finch, private. 
 
 Died in Wilmington. — Augustus Gordon, private. 
 
 THE NINETY- SEVENTH REGIMENT. 
 
 The Ninety-seventh Regiment, Colonel Charles Wheelock, 
 was organized at Booneville, and then mustered in the ser- 
 vice of the United States for three years, February 18, 1862. 
 It left the State March 12th, and its first engagement was at 
 Cedar Mountain, Ya., on the 9tli of August. The regiment 
 then served through General Pope's campaign, and also par- 
 ticipated in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, Fred- 
 ericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. Its record of 
 service likewise includes the Mine Run Campaign, the Wil- 
 derness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, the assault at Peters- 
 burg, the taking of the Weldon Railroad, Hatcher's Run, 
 White Oak Ridge, Five Forks, and Appomattox. The regi- 
 ment was mustered out, under Colonel John P. Spofford, 
 July 18, 1865, near Washington, D. C. 
 
 In Companies A and B, of the Ninety-seventh Regiment, 
 were the following Yates County men : 
 
 Company A, Zeno T. Carpenter,* George P. Harrison, Jo- 
 seph Sage. 
 
 Company B — Thomas Fee, James Nangle. 
 
 THE ONE HUNDRED AND SECOND REGIMENT. 
 
 The One Hundred and Second Regiment was organized 
 January 27, 1862, under Colonel Thomas B. VanBuren, 
 (formerly of Peuu Yan,) and was also known as the " Van 
 Baren Light Infantry." Eight companies belonging to this 
 regiment left New York city for the front, March 10th. 
 Companies I and K left April 7th. The regiment at first 
 served in the Army of the Potomac, participating in the 
 
 * Wouudcd. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 61 
 
 battle of Cedar Mountain, and in the engagements in Gen- 
 eral Pope's Campaign, also in the battles of Antietam, Chan- 
 cellorsville," Gettysburg, Ellis Ford, and Steveusburg. In 
 the autumn of 1803 the Twelfth Corps, in which the One 
 Hundred and Second Regiment was included, was trans- 
 ferred to Tennessee, and there aided in achieving the grand 
 victory of Missionary Ridge, with the capture of Lookout 
 Mountain. At Lookout Mountain the One Hundred and 
 Second was posted upon the extreme right of Hooker's first 
 line of battle and nobly sustained the high reputation in 
 which the regiment was held by the commanding General. 
 In this action Major Gilbert M. Elliott was killed and Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Robert Avery was wounded. The regiment 
 then served in the Army of the Cumberland in the Atlanta 
 Campaign, (May 3d to Sept. 2, 1864,) during Sherman's 
 march to the sea, (Nov. 15th to Dec. 10, 1864,) and in the 
 Campaign of the Carolinas, (Jan. 26th to April 26, 1865.) 
 The One Hundred and Second Regiment was honorably dis- 
 charged and mustered out, under Colonel Harvey D. Chat- 
 held, July 21, 1865, at Alexandria, Va. 
 
 Company H, in this regiment, contained the following 
 Yates County enlistments : 
 
 Peter K. Deyo, Captain ; Aaron C. Frost, First Sergeant ; 
 Charles L. Nichols, Second Sergeant; Privates, Morris Bart- 
 lett, Edward Beardsley, James J. Fox, Lorimore Graham, 
 William Henry Mathrole, Anson Matthews, James Sanders, 
 Charles H. Wheeler. 
 
 * The Vates County Chronicle, of May 21, 1863, contained the following 
 account of an incident that occurred at the battle of Chancellorsville : 
 " The io2d N. Y., remained in the rifle-pits with the 6oth N. Y., when all 
 the rest of the 3d Brigade, 12th Corps, had retired on account of the ter- 
 rible fire which enfiladed them. The rebels, yelling like devils, rushed 
 down upon them and the 12th Georgia regiment sprang in among the 
 io2d, calling out, 'You are our prisoners.' 'Not by a damned sight,' 
 shouted the boys of the io2d, and they disarmed the Georgia I2tli, taking 
 their stand of colors and marching them off prisouers of war in the midst 
 of the fight. While this was going on, a rebel officer jumped in among 
 them, and seeing them mixed — part butternuts and part blue jackets- 
 called out, ' What regiment is this ? ' 'The I02d N. Y.' ' Hell 1' said 
 he, * I suppose I am your prisoner, then. Well, bully for you. I am a 
 New York boy, myself." 
 
62 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH REGIMENT. 
 
 The One Hundred and Fifth Regiment, Colonel James M. 
 Fuller, was organized March 15, 1862. The regiment was 
 formed by the consolidation of seven companies recruited in 
 Genesee County, and three in Monroe County. The One 
 Hundred and Fifth served in the Third Corps of the Army 
 of Virginia, from June 26, 1862, taking part in General 
 Pope's campaign, and afterwards served in the First Corps of 
 the Army of the Potomac. On the 17th of March, 1863, the 
 regiment, then under Colonel John W. Shedd, was consoli- 
 dated into five companies and transferred to the Ninety- 
 fifth New York Volunteers, and was eventually mustered 
 out June 18, 1865, near Washington, D. C. 
 
 In Company- B were the following residents of Yates 
 County : 
 
 Charles F. Rudgers, enlisted First Lieutenant, promoted to 
 Captain ; Privates, Asahel Bennett, Thomas Creed, Jacob J. 
 Greening, Ephraim Jones, Benjamin Snyder, Paul AVheeler. 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 
 The One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment of Infantry. 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States, 
 received, on the last of June, 18G2, a communication 
 signed by seventeen of the War Governors of the North, 
 recommending him to "till np all military organizations then 
 in the held that had become reduced l)y the unavoidable 
 casualties of the service, and to create new regiments for the 
 defence of positions gained, by calling on each State for its 
 quota of a body of men sufficient for such purposes." The 
 President's reply, in part, was as follows : 
 
 "Fully concurring in the wisdom of the views expressed 
 to me in so patriotic a manner by you in the communication 
 of the '28th of June, I have decided to call into the service 
 an additional force of 300,000 men. I suggest and recom- 
 mend that the troops should be chiefly infantry. I trust 
 they may be enrolled without delay, so as to bring this un- 
 necessary and injurious civil war to a speedy and satisfac- 
 tory conclusion." 
 
 The call for troops, made as above by the President^ was 
 dated July 1st, and on the 2d a proclamation was issued by 
 the Hon. Edwin D. Morgan, Governor of New York, for the 
 raising of the quota of the State. Governor Morgan subse- 
 quently issued an order fixing the quota of the several coun- 
 ties, and requiring a regiment to be raised in each senatorial 
 district, which for the time was re-named, " Ptegimental Dis- 
 trict." For each district a war committee was appointed to 
 take charge of the recruiting of the regiment of that district, 
 and to recommend the proper persons to officer such regi- 
 ment. The war committee appointed by the Governor for 
 the Twenty-sixth Senatorial District held the first meeting 
 at Geneva, on the lltli of July, said committee being com- 
 posed of certain prominent citizens from the counties of On- 
 tario, Seneca, and Yates. From the last named county the 
 
64 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 raembei's of the war committee were as follows : Hon. 
 William S. Briggs, County Judge, Morris Brown, Esq., 
 Stafford C. Cleveland, Editor of the Yates County Chronicle, 
 Charles S. Hoyt, M. D., Meletiah H. Lawrence, Esq., Hon. 
 Darius A. Ogden, and General Alexander F. Whitaker. 
 
 Recruiting immediately commenced, and on the 4th of 
 August the rendezvous for the regiment to be raised in this 
 district was opened at Camp Swift, Geneva. The position 
 of commandant of this post was first offered to the Hon. 
 Charles J. Folger, of Geneva, and then to the Hon. Darius 
 A. Ogden, of Penn Yan. Each having in turn declined, the 
 Hon. Eliakira Sherrill, of Geneva, was chosen and was com- 
 missioned Colonel of the Regiment upon its organization. 
 War meetings were held in all parts of the senatorial dis- 
 trict, particularly in our county of Yates, where great enthu- 
 siasm was manifested, and recruiting went on rapidly. Com- 
 pany A, recruited entirely in Yates County, was the first 
 company in the new regiment to rendezvous at Camp Swift. 
 The second was Company B, recruited principally in Yates 
 County. Recruits from this county were also in companies 
 C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and K. On August 20th the regiment, 
 which was called the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth New 
 York Volunteers, was organized, and on the 22d it was reg- 
 ularly mustered into the United States service for three 
 years.* 
 
 * Colonel Ephraim M. Whitaker, of Penn Yan, one of Yates County's 
 patriotic citizens, having conceived the idea of presenting the new organ- 
 ization with a stand of colors, by his own personal efforts collected the 
 money and made a trip to New York to procure the material for a flag, 
 which was made and wholly finished by the ladies of Penn Yan. 
 
 Made of heavy silk, surrounded by an elegant fringe, inscribed with 
 heavy silk embroidery, and mounted upon a staff", upon which rested a 
 splendid silver eagle with spread wings, a more beautiful and elegant flag 
 never swung to the breeze, the total cost of which was |i250.oo. It was 
 designed that the presentation should be made b}' the Rev. Frederick 
 Starr, Jr., pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, on behalf of the Sol- 
 diers' Aid Society, of Penn Yan, of which Mrs. Morris Brown was then 
 President, but,iupon reaching Geneva, it was found that some of the peo- 
 ple of that place were a little sensitive in regard to allowing so much 
 glory to Penn Yan, so the Penn Yan folks, with that modesty which al- 
 waj'S characterizes them, consented to have the presentation made on be- 
 half of the ladies of the Senatorial District, which was done. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 65 
 
 On that date the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Eegi- 
 ment comprised 39 officers and 956 enlisted men, or a total 
 of 995. The regimental and line officers at the time were as 
 follows : 
 
 Officers. — Colonel, E. Sherrill, Geneva; Lieutenant-Col- 
 onel, James M. Bull, Canandaigua; Major, W. H. Baird, 
 Geneva ; Quartermaster, J. K. Loring, Waterloo ; Surgeon, 
 Fletcher M. Hammond, Penu Yau ; First Assistant Surgeon, 
 Charles S. Hoyt, Potter ; Second Assistant Surgeon, Pierre 
 D. Peltier, Canandaigua; Chaplain, T. Spencer Harrison, 
 Dundee; Sergeant-Major, D. C. Farrington, Geneva; Quar- 
 termaster-Sergeant, John Stevenson, Jr., Seneca Falls ; Com- 
 missary-Sergeant, Kichard Macey, Geneva; Sutler, J. D. 
 Cobb, Geneva. 
 
 Line Officers. — Company A, Captain, T. N. Burrill ; First 
 Lietenant, S. A. Barras; Second Lieutenant, G. D. Carpen- 
 ter ; Company B, Captain W. A. Coleman ; First Lieutenant, 
 R. A. Bassett; Second Lieutenant, M. H. Lawrence, Jr.; 
 Company C, Captain, W, Scott ; First Lieutenant, T. E. 
 Lounsbury ; Second Lieutenant, A. W. Porter ; Company 
 D, Captain, P. D. Phillips ; First Lieutenant, C. A. Pach- 
 ardson ; Second Lieutenant, S. F. Lincoln ; Company E, 
 Captain, H. D. Kipp ; First Lieutenant, George C. Pritchett; 
 Second Lieutenant, J. H. Brough; Company F, Captain, 
 
 The event took place on August 22d, the same day on which the Regi- 
 ment was mustered into the United States service. A procession of citi- 
 zens was formed under direction of Colonel E. M. Whitaker, of Penn 
 Yan, as Marshal, escorting the flag to Camp Swift. Arriving upon the 
 ground, the Regiment was formed in a hollow square, preparatory to re- 
 ceiving the flag. From 8,ooo to io,ooo people were present to witness the 
 ceremony. 
 
 The following ladies from Penn Yan comprised the committee on pre- 
 sentation : Mrs. Captain T. N. Burrill, Mrs. Colonel E. M. Whitaker, 
 Mrs. F. H. Griggs, Mrs. C. G. Judd, Mrs. J. V. Van Alen. 
 
 The flag fell into the hands of the enemy by the surrender of Harper's 
 Ferry, and was taken to Richmond. At the close of the war, it, with 
 others, was brought to Washington and stowed away in the War Depart- 
 ment. Fourteen years afterward, through the efforts of the Hon. E. G. 
 Lapham, then Member of Congress, it was brought back and presented to 
 the I26tli Regiment Association at its Annual Reunion held at Grove 
 Springs, and has since been sacredly guarded by that Association. 
 
66 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Isaac Shimer ; First Lieutenant, Ira Munson ; Second Lieu- 
 tenant, T. E. Munson ; Company G, Captain, J. F. Aikens ; 
 First Lieutenant, Frederick Stewart ; Second Lieutenant, S. 
 H. Piatt ; Company H, Captain, O. J. Herendeen ; First 
 Lieutenant, G. N. ' Eedfield ; Second Lieutenant, A. R. 
 Clapp ; Company I, Captain, B. F. Lee ; First Lieutenant, 
 G. Skaats ; Second Lieutenant, G. L. Yost ; Company K, 
 Captain, Charles M. Wheeler ; First Lieutenant, H. C. Law- 
 rence ; Second Lieutenant, I. A. Seamans. 
 
 The regiment left Geneva for the front, August IG, 1862, 
 and arrived at Baltimore the next day. By orders given by 
 the veteran, General John E. Wool, who commanded the 
 Middle Department, the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth 
 proceeded to Harper's Ferry, reaching there the 28th. The 
 regiment had been directed to report for instruction and 
 duty to Colonel D. H. Miles, then commanding at Harper's 
 Ferry, and which, on its arrival, was already occupied by the 
 Thirty-ninth and One Hundred and Eleventh Regiments 
 New York Volunteers, the Thirty-second Ohio Volunteers, 
 the Twelfth New York State Militia, the First Rhode Island 
 Battery, and a portion of the Fifth New York Heavy Artill- 
 ery. The forces at Harper's Ferry were augmented, Sep- 
 tember 2d and 3d, by the arrival, from Winchester, of troops 
 under General White, consisting of the One Hundred and 
 Fifteenth New York Volunteers, the Ninth Vermont, the Six- 
 tieth Ohio, the Sixty-fifth Illinois, and some other regiments. 
 On the 13th, 14th, and 15th of September, Harper's Ferry 
 was invested by three divisions of the Confederate army, 
 commanded, respectively, by Generals McLaws, Walker, and 
 "Stonewall" Jackson. Early in the morning of the 13th, 
 the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment advanced 
 from Harper's Ferry to Maryland Heights. It there re- 
 ceived the main force of the enemy's attack, and made, under 
 very disadvantageous circumstances, a brave and creditable 
 defence. Its loss in this engagement was thirteen killed * 
 and forty-two wounded. Among the latter was Colonel 
 Sherrill, who, receiving a severe wound in the face, was for 
 
 *Iyieuteuaut Alfred R. Clapp, of Compauy H, was killed iu this action, 
 bsing the first officer killed belonging to the regiment. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. G7 
 
 some time disabled from active service. On the 15th the 
 garrison at Harper's Ferry surrendered on parole. The 
 causes which are said to have brought about this disastrous 
 result need not here be stated, other than to mention that 
 there was then, and has since been, a difference of opinion 
 as to who should be charged with the responsibility or the 
 blame.* Having marched to Annapolis, the One Hundred 
 and Twenty-sixth Regiment was transferred to Camp Doug- 
 las, Chicago.! At this place were located for two months 
 its far from desirable quarters, where the accommodations 
 and sanitary arrangements were alike injurious to the health 
 of all and fatal to many. Adjutant J. Smith Brown, of 
 Colonel Berdan's United States Sharpshooters, here joined, 
 on the 17th of November, the One Hundred and Twenty- 
 sixth, having accepted the adjutancy of the same. The reg- 
 iment was exchanged November 19th, and proceeding to 
 Washington, was re-armed. The winter of 18G2-63 Avas 
 passed in camp at Union Mills, Ya., doing picket duty along 
 the banks of the famous Bull Run. On the 27tli of January, 
 1863, Colonel Sherrill having sufficiently recovered, rejoined 
 the regiment, which, during his absence, had been under the 
 command of Lieutenant Colonel James M. Bull. The camp 
 was moved, March 2d, to Centerville, Va., where the One 
 
 *The unnecessary fall of this place awakened the deepest indignation, 
 and the blame was laid, now on Halleck, and now on Miles, and again on 
 McClellan. Colonel Ford, who commanded the Heights, also came in for 
 his share of the blame. The disgraceful affair, however, is surrounded by 
 no difficulties. Colonel Miles was not a fit man to command the place, 
 as had been fully shown in his conduct at the first battle of Bull Run, and 
 should not have been put there. His death, after he had hoisted the white 
 flag, saved him from further disgrace.— 'Head/ey' s Hislory of the Great 
 Rebellion, Vol. 2. 
 
 T On the ridiculous idea ot using the 126th to fight the Indians in Minn- 
 esota, the regiment was sent in rough box cars to this camp, which, as a 
 place of residence, was the most abominable. Mrs. A. M. Willsou, in 
 her book, " Disaster, Struggle, Triumph," says: "The camp had been 
 crowded with rebel prisoners from Fort Donelson, and elsewhere, who 
 had been recently exchanged, and left it empty of everything but filth, 
 rats, and other vermin not to be mentioned to ears polite, which Burns 
 called 'crawlin' ferlies,' and the Union soldiers dubbed ' gray -backs. ' " 
 Passenger cars were kindly provided to bring back the 126th to Washing- 
 ton. 
 
68 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Hundred and Twenty-sixth united with the balance of a 
 brigade, composing the Thirty-ninth, the One Hundred and 
 Eleventh, and the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth New York 
 Volunteers, and commanded by Brigadier General Alexan- 
 der Hays, who had won distinction in the Peninsular cam- 
 paign. On the 24th of June the regiment joined the Army 
 of the Potomac, then marching to intercept Lee, who was 
 making a second attempt to invade the North. The One 
 Hundred and Twenty-sixth now became a part of the Third 
 Brigade of the Third Division of the Second Army Corps, 
 under Hancock. Brigadier General Hays was at this time 
 assigned to the command of the Third Division, and was 
 succeeded as commander of the brigade by Colonel George 
 Lamb Willard, of the One Hundred and Eleventh New York 
 Volunteers. 
 
 After a most fatiguing march from Centerville, the One 
 HiTudred and Twenty-sixth arrived in the early morning of 
 the 2d of July on the battlefield of Gettysburg. Toward 
 night it took part, along with the brigade, in a glorious 
 charge that resulted in the defeat and dispersion of the op- 
 posing forces of Southerners. As this charge was being 
 made. Colonel Willard, the brigade commander, was killed, 
 while on the side of the enemy fell Barksdale, who had com- 
 manded a Confederate brigade at the taking of Harper's 
 Ferry. During the terrific connonading between the two 
 armies, with which began the engagement of the day follow- 
 ing, volunteers from the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth 
 Eegiment came forward and manned the guns in the batter- 
 ies where the regular artillerymen had been killed or 
 wounded. When, a little later, Pickett's grand assault was 
 made against the Federal lines held by the Second Corps, 
 the One Hundred and Twenty -sixth acted well its part to- 
 wards the repulse of the foe. Five stands of colors were 
 taken by the regiment on this occasion. Captain Morris 
 Brown, Jr.. of Yates County, captured, with his own hands, 
 one of these standards, on which was inscribed, "Harper's 
 Ferry," and the names of eleven other battles. The surren- 
 der of Harper's Ferry was redeemed at Gettysburg. The 
 brave Colonel Sherrill, who, when Colonel Willard fell, had 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 69 
 
 succeeded to the command of the Third Brigade, was mor- 
 tally wounded, expiring the next day, and most fittingly on 
 the anniversary of American Independence. Four other 
 commissioned officers" and fifty-five enlisted men belonging 
 to the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment were killed 
 in this one of the most important battles of the war, while 
 eight commissioned officers! and 172 enlisted men were 
 wounded. Among the slain were the non-commissioned offi- 
 cers, Sergeant-Major Henry P. Cook, and Color-Sergeant 
 Erasmus E. Bassett, both of Yates County, the latter of 
 whom fell during the fight of July 2d while bravely carrying 
 the regimental colors.:}: An active part was taken by the 
 regiment, after the battle, in the pursuit of the enemy.§ 
 
 From Gettysburg until the close of the war, the One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty-sixth participated in twenty different bat- 
 tles and skirmishes. In the autumn of 1863 the regiment 
 won additional honor for its conspicuous gallantry in the 
 battles of Auburn Ford and of Bristow Station, which were 
 fought, respectively, in the morning and afternoon of Octo- 
 ber nth, and in which the loss in killed and wounded was 
 41. Severe skirmishing also took place along Mine Run on 
 the 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th of November.^ The services 
 of the regiment were again called upon in the grand recon- 
 noissance made February 6, 1864, by the Army of the Poto- 
 mac at Morton's Ford on the Rapidan. On the 24th of 
 March, Lieutenant-General U. S. Grant arrived and estab- 
 lished his headquarters at Culpepper Court House. The 
 regiment having been transferred to Barlow's division, en- 
 
 * Captains Isaac Shirner, Orrin J. Herendeen, aud Charles M. Wheeler, 
 and LieutenaQt Rufus P. Holmes. 
 
 t Captains John H. Brough, Henry B. Owen, and Charles A. Richardson, 
 Lieutenants Sidney E. Brown, Pratt Dibble, Ashbrah Huntoon, Jr., Mel- 
 etiah H. Lawrence, Jr., and Jacob Sherman, the last officer, mortally. 
 
 t A second stand of colors had been received from the Government 
 upon the return of the Regiment to Virginia after its exchange. 
 
 'i The Regiment went into the battle with 30 officers and 425 enlisted 
 men bearing arms. Its loss was 231, as stated. There were but four reg- 
 iments in the engagement that lost a greater number in killed and 
 wounded than did the 126th N. Y., and one of those, (the iiith N. Y.,) 
 formed a part of the same brigade. 
 
70 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 tered the spriug campaigu of 1864 with less than 300 men, 
 of whom 100 were on duty as provost <];uard at corps head- 
 quarters. The Army of the Potomac crossed the Eapidan on 
 the 4th of May, and was afterwards enga<j;ed in the following 
 battles, in all of whicli the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth 
 Regiment took part : May 6th and 7th in the Wilderness,) in 
 this battle Brevet-Major General Alexander Hays was killed 
 while gallantly rallying his brigade,) May 10th at Po River, 
 May I'itli to the 18tli at Spottsylvania,'^ where the Second 
 Corps, to which the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regi- 
 ment belonged, made a grand charge on the enemy's works, 
 capturing 400 prisoners, '20 guns, and 30 stands of colors, to- 
 gether Avith the Confederate Generals Edward Johnson and 
 G. H. Stewart, who were taken to the rear and put under 
 guard of colored soldiers. From the 23d to the 31st, sharp 
 skirmishing occurred along the North Anna River and along 
 the Tolopotamy Creek. The One Hundred and Twenty- 
 sixth Regiment then took part in the terrible battle of Cold 
 Harbor from the 1st to the 12th of June. On the 16th the 
 regiment moved to the front of Petersburg, and in the en- 
 gagement on that day. Colonel William H. Baird was killed. 
 Heavy fighting also occurred here on the 17tli and 18th. 
 The Second Corps, on the 21st, advanced to the left of Pe- 
 tersburg, and on the 22d was attacked by the enemy in 
 force and on the left flank. The One Hundred and Twenty- 
 sixth Regiment was at this time commanded by Captain 
 Morris Brown, Jr., of Yates County, who fell with others of 
 merit in the heat of the action. f 
 
 On the 26th of July the regiment was engaged in battle at 
 Deep Bottom, on the James, and from the 14tli to the 20tli 
 
 * At Spottsylvania, Lieutenant George A. Sherman was killed, and Cap- 
 tains Morris Brown, Jr., and Winfield Scott, and Lieutenants John F. 
 Randolph, (afterwards Adjutant.) and Samuel Hughes, were wounded. 
 
 tFrom the ist of May to the 23d of June, 1864, the following ofEcers 
 were killed and wounded : Lieutenant Colonel William H. Baird, Captains 
 Morris Brown, Jr., and Henry B. Owen ; Lieutenants Ashbrah Huntoon, 
 Jr., Martin V. Stanton, and John A. McDonald, killed; Captain Ira Mun- 
 son and Adjutant Spencer F. Lincoln, mortally wounded, and Captain 
 Charles A. Richardson, Lieutenants Milo H. Hopper, and John H. Hurl- 
 burt, wounded. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 71 
 
 of August at Strawberry Plains. Having aided effectively 
 in the destruction of the Weldon Railroad, the regiment was 
 attacked on the 25th, at Reams's Station. In the following 
 spring of 1865* the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regi- 
 ment participated in the assault, made March 25th, on the 
 lines around Petersburg just after the attack by Lee upon 
 Fort Steadman. From the 29tli to the 31st the regiment 
 was engaged on the skirmish line along the Boydton Plank 
 Road. AVhen the grand advance of the army began, the 
 Third Brigade, in which was included the One Hundred and 
 Twenty-sixth Regiment, took a particularly active part, and, 
 led by the gallant General C. D. MacDougall, charged (April 
 2d) and carried the enemy's intrenchments at Southerland's 
 Station. The Confederates were again encountered April 
 7th at Farmville and at Appomattox on the 9th, where, on 
 the latter date, Lee surrendered to Graut.f The One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty-sixth Regiment having resumed its march, 
 passed, on the 7th of May, through Richmond. Here it was 
 greeted by the One Hundred and Forty-eighth New York 
 Volunteers, in which regiment companies B, F, and I, had 
 been recruited in Yates County. This was the first time the 
 two regiments had met while in the service. The One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty -sixth proceeded to Washington, where, on 
 June 2d, orders were received for the regiment to be mus- 
 tered out and sent to the State rendezvous, and on the 3d 
 the regiment was mustered out. The next day the men left 
 Washington for Elmira, arriving at that place on the 6th, 
 and there meeting their former colonel, James M. Bull. The 
 One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment, numbering at 
 this time 221 men, received final payment and discharge at 
 Elmira, June 16 and 17, 1865. | 
 
 *Oii account of the severe losses sustained, the regiment was consoli- 
 dated on the 24th of December, 1864, into a battalion of five companies. 
 
 t Captain John B. Geddis having been severely wounded in the engage- 
 ment at Boydton Plank Road, the regiment, which now numbered 46 
 muskets, had since been commanded by Captain I. Hart Wilder. 
 
 j During its term of service the regiment lost sixteen commissioned 
 officers, killed in action or died of wounds received in battle, a loss 
 greater in proportion to its number of officers than that sustained by any 
 other regiment from the State of New York, and exceeded by but few in 
 the service. 
 
72 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 The followiug were the regimental and line officers of the 
 One Hundred and Twenty-sixth on the mustering out of the 
 regiment : 
 
 Major, J. Smith Brown, Penn Yan ; Adjutant, John F. 
 Eandolph,t Penn Yan ; Quartermaster, John C. Stanton, 
 Geneva; Surgeon, Fletcher M. Hammond, Penn Yan; Assis- 
 tant Surgeon, Ferdinand M. Pasco, Pted Creek; Chaplain, T. 
 Spencer Harrison, Dundee. Company A, Captain Ira Hart 
 Wilder; First Lieutenant, Samuel Hughes ;t Company B, First 
 Lieutenant, Milo H. Hopper ;t Second Lieutenant, Charles A. 
 Garliughouse ; Company C, Captain, John A. Geddis ; First 
 Lieutenant, Thomas R. Lounsbury ; Second Lieutenant, Jor- 
 dan Snook ; Company D, Captain, Ten Eyck Munson ; First 
 Lieutenant, Charles W. Watkins ; Company E, First Lieu- 
 tenant, Henry M. Lee ; Second Lieutenant, Clinton E. Pas- 
 co; Sergeant-Major, Albert S. Andrews; Quartermaster- 
 Sergeant, John Davis; Commissary Sergeant, Charles R. 
 Lisk ; Hospital-Steward, George W. Becker ; Principal Mu- 
 sician, Lyman E. Jacobus. 
 
 Muster-in roll of Companies A and B, with Yates County 
 recruits in companies C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and K. 
 
 Company A — Truman N. Burrill, Captain; Samuel A. 
 Barris, First Lieutenant ; George D. Carpenter, Second Lieu- 
 tenant ; Morris Brown, Jr., Orderly ; Samuel Wilson, First 
 Sergeant, Charles Forshay, Second Sergeant ; Wallace Betts, 
 Third Sergeant; O. M. Paris, Fourth Sergeant; Daniel Kel- 
 ly, First Corporal ; Smith Fuller,* Second Corporal ; Barn- 
 ard Gelder, Third Corporal ; Charles Stebbins, Fourth Cor- 
 poral ; David H. Gotf," Fifth Corporal ; Smith Stebbins,t 
 Sixth Corporal ; Lot W. Rogers, Seventh Corporal ; Charles 
 Norcott, Eighth Corporal ; William Beebe, Drummer ; James 
 McAllister, Fifer. Privates, Richard M. Allen,t Warren Al- 
 len, AVilliam Axtell,t Oliver Baker,§ William Baker, Daniel 
 J. Beyea, Henry Bilson,§ Levi P. Brazee,t George Burch, 
 James Burns, George A. Boyiugton, Alvah B. Chissom,§ 
 Levi Cole,t John Conklin,§ John Cummings, Eben B. 
 Danes,! William H. Dubois,^ A. R. Feagles,§ Daniel W. 
 Finch,t John H. Frost,t John H. Garrison,! Barnard F. Gel- 
 
 * Killed. tWouuded. JDied. | Deserted. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 73 
 
 der," William Hainer, Francis A. Harford,:}: John Harris, 
 James Henderson, f Abner Henries, § William Henries,:}: 
 James R. Hibbard,:|: William P. House, Neil Kell}^ Russell 
 A. Lincoln, Orson R. Linkletter, David Little, John C. Mace, 
 Patrick Manley, John D. Maynard, George W. McKnight, 
 Arthur W. Middleton,t George MiUis,t Charles E. Moore, 
 Henry O. Moore, Alexander Moshier,t Lewis Murphy, 
 Charles M. Nicholson,* John J. Oakley, Alfred C. 01ds,t 
 David H. Paris, Peter F. Paris,! John W. Parker,t Harlow 
 F. Parsons,:!: Lewis T. Partridge, Francis E. Pool,t Robert 
 H. Pool,* William J. Pool, Charles H. Powers,! Calvin L. 
 Reed, Sidney E. Rice, William Robinson, § James Ryan, Al- 
 bion C. Sheppardjt Cyrus Sherwood, AVilliam H. Shoe- 
 maker,! Spencer Slingerland, Charles W. Sterling, George 
 T. Stevens,§ William W. Strobridge,! Charles P. Strong, 
 David D. Taylor, David E. Taylor,! James Taylor, David O. 
 Tears, Thomas Tobin,""^' Isaac Traverse,:!: Spencer Turner,§ 
 Alexander Turner,:}: Phineas Tyler,! William R. Tyndall,* 
 Thaddeus B. Twitcliell,'" John Vaughn, James E. Warner, 
 Charles E. Waters, Martin Youngs. 
 
 Company B. — ^ William Augustus Coleman, Captain; Rich- 
 ard A. Bassett, First Lieutenant (promoted to Captain,) ; 
 Meletiah H. Lawrence, Jr., t Second Lieutenant; Oscar C. 
 Squires,t First Sergeant ; T. Spencer Harrison, Second Ser- 
 geant; Erasmus E. Bassett,* Third Sergeant; Henry P. 
 Cook," Fourth Sergeant; Henry O. Childs,§ Fifth Sergeant; 
 Edwin Jessup,t First Corporal ; William McAllister, Second 
 Corporal ; Edward Knapp,t Third Corporal ; Martin V. Mc- 
 Carrick,.!: Fourth Corporal ; Elias A. Norris," Fifth Corporal ; 
 George Chapman,* Sixth Corporal; Samuel A. Nichols,* 
 Seventh Corporal; Henry S. Nichols,t Eighth Corporal; 
 Privates, William H. Armstrong,!' Charles W. Austin,§ Mel- 
 vin Bunce,* Rollin G. Beach,* William P. Bowen,:t James F. 
 Butler,§ James Badger,§ Oreu Bates, t Andrew Brace, Reu- 
 ben Bullock,'!" Nathan D. Beeden,t John Blansett,t James M. 
 Booth, t Moses U. Booth,t Isaac Bellis,* William Cassion,t 
 Edwin Coryell, t Benjamin F. Chase, Isaac P. DePew, Charles 
 H. Dunniug,t George W. Davis,* Oren Edgett,! Rowland 
 
 *Kilied. t Wounded. J Died. ^Deserted. 
 
74 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 LeRoj Embree," Horace F. Eilis/^ John W. Finger, Morti- 
 mer Garrison,* Charles W. Gaylortl,* James H. Griggs, 
 James K. P. Huson,* Christopher Hoaghtailing,'^ George 
 Hays,§ Will L. Hobart,* William A. Hays,§ Amos V. Hough- 
 tailing,! Charles M. Hyatt,t Ellsworth Haight,;j: Egbert C. 
 Hopkins,t Frank R. Hamlin, Alexander H. Honghtailing,§ 
 Charles C. Hicks, t James E. Hicks,t Joseph Hollowell,* 
 James H. Lathyt, Luther C. Lott,t Richard H. Miles, Nel- 
 son Millis,! James H. Moshier, Edgar F. Millard, Anson Mat- 
 thews,! Thomas T. McCarrick,t George Moore, Elias A. 
 Norris, Peter M. Norman, t John H. Osborne, Caleb J. Os- 
 borne,§ Charles R. Pinneo, Franklin S. Pettiugill,t David 
 Perigo,§ Stephen C. Purdy,t Orren Potter, Amos J. Potter, f 
 Andrew Putnam,:}: Albert A. Quick,* William Raymond,* 
 John Nelson Rooney, Joseph B. 8nyder,§ Orlando B. 
 Smith! Albert S. Sprague,! Wilber F. Stanton, Robert B. 
 Sutton,! Charles P. Stevens, Asa Sherwood,* Charles A, 
 Seward,§ Albert Thomas, Lewis Trimmer,* George Tyler,* 
 Joseph R. Tuttle,-^- John R. Tuttle,* William H. Thomas,! 
 James H. Updike, James E. Walker,§ Jerry Wall, Josiah 
 Wolf,§ Richard Wheaten, David J. Wilkin,! Luther 
 Weaver.! 
 
 Company C. — Albert F. Dow and Myron C. Morse, both 
 transferred from Company A. 
 
 Company D. — Henry W. Bradt, Charles W. Ford,* Deca- 
 tur A. Hedges,! Albert A. Murdock, Eugene M. Smith. t 
 
 Company E. — John H. Brough,! Second Lieutenant (pro- 
 moted Captain) ; Fayette Green,! First Sergeant ; John F. 
 Randolph'!" (enlisted Private and promoted Corporal, Ser- 
 geant, Sergeant-Major, First Lieutenant, and Adjutant); 
 Charles E. Raymond, Musician ; Privates, Aaron H. Abeel, 
 Jewett Benedict, Robert D. Blauvelt,! Albert L. Bogart, 
 Jerome Brink, Taylor Brink, James A. Creed,! Jonathan 
 Creed,! Thereon T. Dunn,! Alonzo Harris,! Franklin R. 
 Knapp,§ John Olf,"" Edwin Palmer,! Henry Runyan, Sher- 
 man AV. Robinson,! Byron W. Scott,! Stephen Walker, 
 Henry Wilson.* 
 
 * Killed. tWouuded. jDied. ^Deserted. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 75 
 
 Company F.— Jolm M. Banlen,;!. Eli M. Hazlet,t and Ab- 
 ner W. Shearman. 
 
 Company G. — Frederick Stewart, First Lieutenant; De- 
 Witt C. Farriugtou, Sergeant Major; Privates, William Bain,§ 
 John Barron, t Patrick Bulger,! James Collins, John P. Cul- 
 ver, Daniel Day,* John Dunnigan,* Frank Dunnigan," John 
 Duffy, Byron K. Feagles,* Jacob Goodsell, George Henry, § 
 David J. Hoffman,! Daniel Mead,§ James Place, t Norman 
 Potts,:!: A. J. Piali)h,t Milfred I\ector,t John Bector,:|: James 
 Sn3'der,:j: Charles B. Shaw,:}: James Toms.§ 
 
 Company H. — Justus H. Cooley, Jr.,:}: Corporal; Privates, 
 Nathaniel J. Briggs, Abijah DePew. 
 
 Company I. — George Donnelly, private. 
 
 Company K. — William L. Criscadon,t Corporal ; Privates, 
 John C. Adams,'"'' George W. Erwin,t George V. Harris, 
 James Norman, § Hiram Wilson. 
 
 COLORS OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIXTH, N. Y. V. 
 
 The beautiful flag presented by the patriotic ladies of the 
 Twenty-sixth Senatorial District on the organization of the 
 One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment having fallen into 
 the hands of the enemy by the surrender of Harper's Ferry, 
 as already narrated,t the second stand of colors was received 
 from the Government upon the return of the regiment to 
 Virginia, after its exchange, and in the ffrst battle in which 
 the colors were borne (Gettysburg) they received seven mus- 
 ket shots and were twice torn by shells. 
 
 In that dreadful charge of the Third Brigade, on the 2d 
 of July, 1863, the flag was carried by Sergeant Erasmus E. 
 Bassett, of Company B, and almost in the moment of victory 
 it was seen to falter, for its bearer was shot throiigh the leg, 
 but it did not fall. Rallying his guard and cheering those 
 around him, the young soldier pressed on, regardless of his 
 wound, but another shot from a Confederate, not five paces 
 distant, pierced his heart, and he fell dead, without a strug- 
 gle or a groan. Not unavenged, however, for a shot from 
 Corporal B3'ron F. Scott, of Company E, one of the color 
 guard, laid the Southerner dead by the side of his victim. 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. J Died. | Deserted. 
 tSee note, page 64. 
 
76 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Upon the fall of Bassett, Sergeant Ambrose Bedell, of 
 Company E, seized the colors and bore them through the 
 engagement, notwithstanding a wound in the hand, and car- 
 ried them the next day when Pickett charged our lines on 
 Cemetery Hill, but another shot tore his hand and arm so 
 that the colors fell from his grasp. They were seized before 
 they touched the ground by an officer and delivered to Cor- 
 poral Henry Mattoon, of Company D, who carried them for a 
 few minutes, when he fell, shot through the neck and shoulder, 
 and Private Theodore P. Vickery caught and bore them 
 aloft for an instant, when he, too, was shot, and fell severely 
 wounded. Yet through the smoke and blaze of battle the 
 regiment could say, "Our Hag is still there!" For Private 
 Lewis Clark, of Company K, a modest, delicate youth, with 
 a slender frame, snatched the colors as they were falling, and 
 bore them aloft in advance of the line. For this gallant act 
 he received the commendation of General Hays, who wit- 
 nessed it, and was promoted to a sergeantcy. 
 
 After the battle of Gettysburg Sergeant Milo H. Hopper, 
 of Company D, took the colors and carried them through 
 the battles of Auburn Ford, Bristow Station, Mine Run, 
 Morton's Ford, and in the campaigns of 1864, from the Rap- 
 idan to Petersburg, until the 9th of June at Cold Harbor, 
 when he was appointed Sergeant-Major, and Sergeant James 
 Harper, of Company G, took the colors and carried them 
 until the 22d of June, 1864. On that day the Second Corps 
 was advanced, leaving a wide gap between its left and the 
 right of the Sixth Corps. Barlow's Division being on the 
 left of the line, the Third Brigade, of which the One Hun- 
 dred and Twenty-sixth New York Volunteers formed a part, 
 was thrown forward into a partially wooded country, without 
 support or protection upon its left. The enemy taking ad- 
 vantage of the situation, advanced a large force around Bar- 
 low's left and closed up on him from front, flank, and rear. 
 Barlow himself barely escaped capture, while the larger por- 
 tion of several of his regiments were surrounded by the 
 enemy and made prisoners. But the Third Brigade (to 
 which the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth belonged), under 
 General MacDougall, fought its way out, but with great loss. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 77 
 
 Captain Morris Brown, Jr., commanding the regiment, was 
 instantly killed, and James Harper, the color-bearer, was 
 shot, and fell into the hands of the enemy. Theodore P. 
 Vickery, who was wounded at Gettysburg while carrying the 
 colors, was at hand in this time of need to bear again that 
 battle-torn flag, but a fatal bullet pierced his body and he 
 fell lifeless. Milo H. Hopper, who had sacredly guarded 
 the colors through the terrible battle scenes of nearly a year 
 unscathed, and who had so recently resigned his trust to 
 James Harper, was also stricken down by a bullet through 
 his right thigh, and the colors fell into the hands of the 
 enemy. A new stand of government colors was immediately 
 presented to the regiment, which was now reduced to sixty- 
 seven oflicers and enlisted men present for duty. 
 
 These colors were carried by Sergeant Covert Barnum, of 
 Company C, until the close of the war, and were then re- 
 turned to the Government, by whose order they were trans- 
 ferred to the Governor of the State of New York and are 
 now deposited in the Bureau of Militar}' Statistics at Albany. 
 
CHAPTER VIL 
 
 The Eighth, Twentieth, and Twentj'-Second Regiments, Cavalry — The 
 Norfolk Brigade Band — The Fifteenth and Fiftieth Regiments, En- 
 gineers. 
 
 THE EIGHTH CAVALRY. 
 
 COLONEL Samuel J. Crooks received autliority to re- 
 cruit a regiment of cavalry to be known as the Eighth 
 Regiment. It was organized for a three years' service, at 
 Rochester, Nov. 14, 1861. Companies A and G, containing 
 recriiits from Yates County, were mustered into the United 
 States service Nov. 23d and Nov. 28th, respectively. The 
 regiment served in the Eighth Corps of the Army of the Po- 
 tomac in its various campaigns in Virginia. 
 
 When Harper's Ferry was invested in September, 1862, 
 the Eighth New York Cavalry cut its way out through the 
 enemy's lines, capturing Longstreet's train and over one 
 hundred prisoners. The Eighth Cavalry has the credit of 
 opening the great three days' fight at Gettysburg — the great- 
 est battle of the war (July 1, 2, and 3, 1863). 
 
 The Eighth Cavalry likewise performed a distinguished 
 part, when "Little Phil" Sheridan, under Grant's orders, 
 swept the Shenandoah Valley.* The list of engagements in 
 which this regiment participated are as follows: In 1862, 
 ^Vlnchester (May 25th), Harper's Ferry (Sept. 14th), An- 
 tietam (Sept. 17th), Snicker's Gap (Oct. 27tli), Pillamount 
 (Nov. 1st), Union (Nov. 2d), Upperville (Nov. 3d), Barber's 
 Cross Roads (Nov. 5th), Amesville (Nov. 7th and 12th). In 
 1863, Freeman's Ford (April 15th), Beverly Fordf (June 
 9th), Middleburg (June 21st), Gettysburg (July 1st, 2d, and 
 3d), Williamsport (July 6th), Boonsborough (July 8th and 
 
 * " I met him at Charlestowu and he pointed out so distinctly how each 
 army lay; what he could do the moment he was authorized, and 'ex- 
 pressed such confidence of success that I saw there were but two words 
 of instructions necessary — Go in ! " — General GranVs Official Report. 
 
 tin this battle the Eighth Cavalry lost its gallant Colonel, Benjamin F. 
 Davis, and had thirteen other ofl&cers either killed or wounded. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 79 
 
 9tli), Funkstown (July lOtli), Falliug Water (July 13th), 
 Chester's Gap (July 27th), Brandy Plains (Aug. 1st and 
 2d), Culpepper (Sept. 13th), Kaccoon Ford (Sept. 14th), 
 Jack's Shop (Sept. 22d), Germania Ford (Oct. 10th), 
 Stephensburg (Oct. 11th), Brandy Plains (Oct. 13th), Oak 
 Hill (Oct. 15th), Bealtown (Oct. 26th), Muddy Eun (Nov. 
 8th), Locust Grove (Nov. 27th). In 1864, Barnard's Ford 
 (Feb. 6th), Craig's (Church (May 5th), Yellow Tavern (May 
 11th), Meadow Bridge (May 12th), Hawes's Shop (June 
 3d), White Oak Swamp (June 13th), Malvern Hill (June 
 15th), Nottoway Court House (June 23d), Eoanoke Station 
 (June 25th), Stoney Creek (June 28th), Winchester (Aug. 
 16th), Summit Point (Aug. 25th), Opequan (Sept. 19th), 
 Front Eoyal, (Sept. 21st), Tom's Brook (Oct. 9th), Cedar 
 Creek (Oct. 19th), Back Eoad (Nov. 12th). In 1865, Five 
 Forks (April 1st), Appomattox (April 9th). II The Eighth 
 Cavalry, then commanded by Colonel Edmund M. Pope, 
 was mustered out at Alexandria, Ya., June 27tli, 18<)5. 
 
 The following were the Yates County recruits in Com- 
 panies A and G: 
 
 Company A. — Alfred E. Miller, Second-Lieutenant; 
 Neadham Northrup, Farrier and Blacksmith ; Jerome M. 
 Doubleday,:{: Sergeant; William H. Anderson,!" Corporal; 
 Frank A. Thompson, Corporal; Privates, Eobert B. Dike- 
 man, James Dowuey,§ Edward Easliug,!' Daniel Gage, John 
 Lassen," Charles P. Stevens, John YanHorn. 
 
 Company G. — Frank O. Chamberlain, First-Lieutenant; 
 Elias Y. Eugar, First-Sergeant, promoted to Captain ; Wil- 
 liam H. H. Page, Sergeant; Oscar J. Bassett,! Corporal; 
 E. Delafield Dwelle,:}". Corporal; Ebeuezer Washburn, Sad- 
 dler; Levett C. Page, Wagoner; Privates, Henry T. Barnes, 
 Warren O. Card, George I. Cronk, John W. Davis, Wil- 
 liam DeScham, Daniel Hull, Avery Ingraham, Aaron Lam- 
 eraux, George W. Molatt, Ashel L. Nichols, Thomas S. 
 Powers, Edwin A. Scott, Theodore M. Stearns, Charles 
 Stearns, Arnold Walbridge, Thomas Waller, Charles H. 
 Warren. 
 
 II New York in the War of the Rebellion. 
 * Killed, t Wounded. J Died. ^Deserted. 
 
80 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 THE TWENTIETH CAVALRY. 
 
 The Twentieth Regiment of Cavah-y, otherwise known as 
 the McClellan Cavalry, was organized and mustered by 
 companies into the service of the United States for three 
 years at Sackett's Harbor ; Company L, in which were re- 
 cruits from Yates County, being mustered in at that place 
 Sept. 22, 1863. The regiment left the State Sept. 23d, and 
 served in the Twenty-second Corps, and afterwards in the 
 Eighteenth Corps of the Army of the Potomac, during the 
 campaign of 1864. The Twentieth Cavalry was then trans- 
 ferred to the Arni}^ of the James, and served in the division 
 commanded by General Kautz during the Appomattox cam- 
 paign, and was mustered out at Manchester, Ya., July 31, 
 1865. During its term of service this regiment took part in 
 the following engagements: In 1864, Smithfield (Feb. 1st), 
 Suffolk (Feb. 20th), Currituck (April 23d), Chuckatuck 
 (June 6th), Wood's Mills Hill (June 24th), South Quay 
 (July 3d), Winton (July 29th), Guiam's Ford (Aug. 12th), 
 Jamestown Island (Sept. 3d), Murfree's Depot (Oct. 16th). 
 In 1865, Darbytown Road (Jan, 13th), Campaign of the Car- 
 olinas (March 1st to March 26th), Five Forks (April 1st), 
 Fall of Petersburg (April 2d), Deep Creek (April 3d and 
 4th) Rice's Station (April 6th), Burke's Station (April 7th), 
 Appomattox Court House (April 9th).* 
 
 Company L, after entering the service, was consolidated 
 with Company M and was known as such. The officers and 
 men from Yates County in this company were as follows : 
 
 Frederick Stewart, Captain ; H. Clay Stewart, First-Lieu- 
 tenant; Charles E. Hyatt, Orderly; Privates, Charles W. 
 Austin, John W. Austin, Melvin Brown, Patrick Brennan, 
 Peter Cain, George Gray, Williau Kinne}", Frederick M. 
 Klise, George Leonard, Augustus McKinne}^ Samuel 
 Whitehead, Myron H. Watrous, Arthur C. Weare. 
 
 THE TWENTY-SECOND CAVALRY. 
 
 The Twenty-second Regiment of Cavalry was organized 
 at Rochester and mustered by companies into the United 
 States service for three years. Company A, recruited in 
 
 * New York in the War of the Rebellion. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTOHY OF YATES COUNTY. 81 
 
 part ill Yates Couutj, was mustered in at Rochester, Dec. 
 '20, 1863. In March, 1864 the regiment left the place of 
 rendezvous for the front, and served in the Cavalry Corps of 
 the Army of the Potomac 'through the Wilderness cam- 
 paign,* and afterwards in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, 
 under the chief command of General Philip H. Sheridan. 
 The Twenty-second Cavalry, commanded by Colonel H. B. 
 Reed, was mustered out Aug. 1, 1865, at Winchester, Va. 
 The regiment, while in service, took part in the following 
 engagements: In 1864, Ellis Ford (Jan. 12th), Wilderness 
 (May Tith to May 7th), Spottsylvania (May 8tli to May 21st), 
 North Anna (May 22d to May 26tli), Tolopotomy (May 27th 
 to May 31st), Cold Harbor (June 1st to June 12th), Chicka- 
 hominy (June 13tli), White Oak Swamp (June 14th), Mal- 
 vern Hill (June 15th), Kings and Queens' Court House 
 (June 18th), Diiiwiddie Court House (June 22d), Nottoway 
 Creek (June 23d), Stanton Bridge (June 25th), Blackwater 
 (June 27tl]), Stoney Creek Station (June 28th), Reams Sta- 
 tion (June 29th to June 30th), Smithfield (Aug. 21st), Win- 
 chester Turnpike (Aug. 18tli),Cliarlestown (Aug. 21st), Kear- 
 neysville (Aug. 25th), Winchester and Ashby Gap Turnpike 
 (Sept. 1st), Berryville (Sept. 3d), White Post (Sept. 13th), 
 Snicker's Gap (Sept. 17th), Opequan (Sept. 19th), Front 
 Royal (Sept. 21st), Luray Valley (Sept. 22d), Staunton (Sept. 
 26th), Waynesborough (Sept. 28th), North River (Oct. 3d to 
 Oct. 5th), Brook's Gap (Oct. 6th), Tom's Brook (Oct. 9th), 
 Cedar Creek (Oct. 13th), Ninevah (Nov. 12th), Rood's Hill 
 (Nov. 22d), Moorfield Pike (Nov. 30th), Lacy Springs (Dec. 
 21st). In 1865, Holly Springs (March 4th), New Market 
 (March 6th), Rood's Hill (March 7th).t 
 
 In Company A were the following citizens of Yates Coun- 
 ty, recruited by Lieutenant (afterwards Captain) Henry P. 
 Starr, brother of the Rev. Frederick Starr, Jr.: Amos E. 
 
 *On the morning of June 30, 1864, Jared Henry Olnistead, George 
 Barrett, Amos E. Wheeler, and L,lewellyn Baxter, all of the 22d Cavalry, 
 were taken prisoners near Stoney Creek, Va. Fred Henning was also 
 taken prisoner, but escaped. Jared Henry Olmstead was taken to Libby 
 Prison, and afterwards to Andersonville, Ga., where he died on the 25th of 
 August, 1864. 
 
 t New York in the War of the Rebellion. 
 
82 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Wheeler, Corporal ; Lewis Moore, Sergeant ; Privates, 
 George Barrett,!' Llewellyn Baxter,!' Frederick Eaves,"' Jo- 
 seph Ham, Frederick Henning, Miles B. Hodge,i' Jacob 
 Hodge, t George W. Moxcey, Jared Henry Olmstead,!' Tru- 
 man Slater, Miles T. Terrill. Company G, John Carr, pri- 
 vate. 
 
 THE NORFOLK BRIGADE BAND. 
 
 At all military posts of any consequence the army regula- 
 tions directed that bands should be stationed. Under such 
 regulations Major Hanford Struble received orders in De- 
 cember, 1862, from General B. F. Butler, to enlist a post 
 band, to be stationed at Norfolk, Ya. Major Struble came 
 North and enlisted into the service the Brass Band of Dun- 
 dee. This band was mustered in at Elmira, Jan. 4, 1863. 
 From Elmira the band went by rail to Baltimore, and by 
 steamer from Baltimore to Norfolk. The members of this 
 band at the time of enlistment were as follows: John Shoe- 
 maker, (Leader, with the rank of First Lieutenant,) E flat 
 soprano; Stephen Bennett, first B flat cornet; Darius B. 
 Perry, second B flat cornet ; Melville R. Perry, baritone ; 
 Nicholas Christler, first alto ; Jewett Benedict, E flat alto ; 
 Charles Post, second tenor; Osborne Clark, B flat, base; 
 Oliver H. Perry, E flat, base ; Dr. John Hamilton Shaw, E 
 flat base; Martin Beeman, second E flat soprano; Clarence 
 Smith, E flat, base ; Anthony Sellen, base drum ; Charles E. 
 Bassett, side drum ; Thomas F. Willis, cymbals. Some 
 changes afterward took place in membership, and in other 
 respects. Dr. John Hamilton Shaw was discharged for 
 physical disability, and died at AVatkins July 7, 1864, on his 
 way home. Charles E. Bassett died at Norfolk on the 2yth 
 of June of the same year, at the early age of fifteen years, 
 and was succeeded as snare drummed b}^ William H. Glad- 
 ding, who was transferred for the purpose from Company 
 M of the Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery. 
 
 The quarters occupied by the Norfolk Post Baud (also 
 known as the Norfolk Brigade Band) during its stay in that 
 city was a commodious brick house on South Catharine 
 
 * Killed, t Died. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 83 
 
 Street, formerly owned by the Confederate General Taylor, 
 and which had been confiscated by the Government. The 
 parade ground, where the musicians composing this band 
 would generally play, was located on Freemason and Cum- 
 berland Streets. Their melody was also heard at Fortress 
 Monroe, Hampton, AVeldon, Petersburg, and other places. 
 They were mustered out at Norfolk July 9, 18G5. From 
 Norfolk they went by steamer to Baltimore, and thence by 
 rail to their homes. Their excellent plajang had made them 
 during their stay in Norfolk, popular favorites, and it was 
 with real regret that the residents saw them leave." 
 
 THE FIFTEENTH ENGINEERS. 
 
 The Fifteenth Regiment of Engineers, Colonel J. McLeod 
 Murphy commanding, was first organized in New York City 
 and there mustered into the service of the United States for 
 two years, June 17, 1861. In November, 18G4, the regiment 
 was re-organized by the addition of seven new companies, 
 F, G, H, I, K, L, and M. 
 
 Companies H, I, K, and L were composed of recruits 
 originally enlisted for the Fiftieth New York Engineers. In 
 Companies I and K were recruits from Yates County, who 
 joined the Fiftieth at Avon. From Avon they went by way 
 of Elmira to Baltimore, where they sta3'ed a few days and 
 were then sent by transport to City Point. At this place 
 they were transferred from the Fiftieth to the Fifteenth Eu- 
 
 The Norfolk (Va.) Post of July 12, 1865, thus expressed a public seu- 
 timent: " Departure ok the Post band. — We regret to have to inform 
 the lovers of good music, and who does not love music, that the Post 
 Band, which, for the past two years, has catered for the musical taste of 
 our citizens, has been discharged from the service and left for home. 
 This will be a sore loss to our citizens and one that will be felt. On Sat- 
 urday night, previous to their departure, they serenaded a number of 
 their warm friends in the city, among them Mr. Cook, who invited them 
 into his house and did the honors. They next paid a visit to the hos- 
 pitable mansion of Mr. Smith, who, after they had played several fare- 
 well airs, entertained them in a magnificent style till a late hour. 
 
 This baud has won golden opinions among the people of Norfolk, and 
 leave regretted by all. Their leader, Mr. John Shoemaker, and the sec- 
 ond leader, Mr. Bennett, were especially the favorites of the community, 
 and bear with them the most friendly feelings and best wishes of our peo- 
 ple. Notwithstanding we are indebted to them a great deal, they have 
 left many notes behind which it will take some time to collect." 
 
84 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 gineers. They were statioDed during the winter of 1864-'65 
 in front of City Point, and were engaged in working on the 
 fortifications known as the Nine Mile Works. After the fall 
 of Petersburg (April 2, 1865) they went, by transport, up 
 the James River to Richmond, taking seventy pontoons, 
 and there laid a pontoon bridge across the river. This pon- 
 toon bridge was intended to take the place of the regular 
 bridges burned by the Confederates when Richmond was 
 evacuated. The pontoon bridge that was then laid extend- 
 ed from Richmond to Belle Isle, and from Belle Isle to 
 Manchester. They remained at Richmond, doing guard 
 duty on this bridge, for thirty days, and were then ordered 
 to march to Washington. At Washington they were mus- 
 tered out, receiving final pay and discharge at Elmira June 
 15, 1865. 
 
 The Yates County recruits in these companies were as 
 follows: Company I, Harlan P. Bush, John L. Bronson, 
 Joseph E. Lewis, James Spencer, Charles M. Whitney, Al- 
 bert T. Wilson. Company K, Martin E. Arnold, Abel 
 Briggs, Barrett A. Boyd, Norton Conley, Joseph Eaves, 
 Jacob Goodsell, John Jones, Norman A. Parshall, George 
 
 B. Parshall, Peter Race, John Philbrook, Edward Sheri- 
 dan, Peter Smith, Benjamin Taylor, Rodney Tupper, James 
 H. Warner, Alonzo Weller. 
 
 THE FIFTIETH ENGINEERS. 
 
 Colonel (afterwards Brigadier General) Charles B. Stuart 
 received authority July 26, 1861, to recruit a regiment of in- 
 fantry, which was organized at Elmira, and was designated 
 Sept. 20th as the Fiftieth Regiment of Infantry. Companies 
 A and E, containing recruits from Yates County, were mus- 
 tered in the service of the United States for three years, re- 
 spectively, Sept. 18th and Aug. 20th. Company M (a new 
 company) joined the command in Feb. 1864. The regiment 
 left the place of rendezvous at Elmira for the front Sept. 
 20, 1861, and after serving as Infantry at Washington, D. 
 
 C, was, on the 22d of October, converted into an engineer 
 regiment, and was designated as the Fiftieth New York En- 
 gineers. It was also commonly known as Stuart's Engi- 
 neers. The regiment served with distinction from March, 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 85 
 
 1862, ill the volunteer brigade of engineers, Army of the 
 Potomac, laying pontoon bridges when required, and per- 
 forming other engineer duty. At the crossing of the Rap- 
 pahannock, in the opening of the Fredericksburg campaign, 
 the Fiftieth Engineers laid three pontoon bridges under a 
 heavy and deadly fire from the enemy's sharpshooters* 
 
 *"It was a most solemn scene, those brave engineers, (50th New York) 
 pushing their pontoons out upon the ice, and fearlessly moving them 
 around in the water to their proper positions. Any moment might ter- 
 minate their existence. They were upon the very threshhold of eternity. 
 Passing along the opposite bank, or grouped around the picket fires, were 
 to be seen the rebel sentinels, almost within pistol-shot. Occasionally 
 they would stop a moment to view our operations, then resume their 
 beat as unconcernedly as if nothing unusual was transpiring. The bridge 
 was headed directly for one of their fires. Nearly one quarter of it was 
 completed without interruption, when, suddenly, as the Court House 
 clock struck five, two signal guns boomed away in the distance, and were 
 immediately followed by a sharp volley of musketry. Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Bull, two Captains, and several men fell dead; others tumbled headlong 
 into the water and sank to the bottom, or were rescued by their brave 
 comrades and brought bleeding and dripping to the shore. We were not 
 unprepared for this. Before the enemy had time to re-load, our artillery 
 planted on the bluffs overhead, and infantry drawn up along the river's 
 bank, returned a heavy fire upon the buildings in which the sharpshooters 
 were secreted. * * * * It did not seem possible that any animate thing 
 could have survived this bombardment ; and there were in fact no signs 
 of life visible ; but no sooner had the engineers again resumed operations 
 than they were greeted with a fresh shower of bullets. How the sharp- 
 shooters had managed to live through all that fire and smoke was to us 
 almost a miracle. Yet they were alive, and as plucky as ever, and our 
 gunners returned to their work. General Burnside now almost despaired 
 of effecting a crossing. Nothing but some brilliant coup-de-inain would 
 accomplish it. He accordingly decided upon sending a body of men over 
 in boats who should rush suddenly upon the concealed foe, and hunt 
 them from their holes. The 7th Michigan and 19th Massachusetts were 
 designated for this purpose. The gallant fellows never flinched from the 
 duty assigned them, but, taking their places in the pontoons, pushed 
 bravely out into the stream, regardless of the rapid volleys of musketry 
 which were poured into them. In a moment they had gained the oppo- 
 site shore, and fearlessly sweeping up the bank, dashed into the houses, 
 and shot, bayoneted or captured the small force which had occasioned us 
 so much trouble and delay. A hundred dark, swarthy Alabamians and 
 Mississippians were brought back, amidst the wildest cheers of the spec- 
 tators who had witnessed the heroic act." — ^^ Story of the ^^d N. V. 
 VoVs, or Two Vears' Campaigning in Virginia and Maryland ,'' by Da- 
 vid W.Judd. 
 
86 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 (Dec. 11, 1862.) Stuart's Eugiueers served in their partic- 
 ular capacity in Virginia until the close of the War, and, 
 commanded by Colonel William H. Pettis, with Major Ira 
 Spauldiug, second in command, were mustered out at Fort 
 Bany, Va., June 13 and 14, 1865. 
 
 The engagements in which the Fiftieth Engineers took 
 part were as follows: In 1862, Siege of Yorktown (April 
 12th to May 4th), Seven Days' Battles (June 25th to July 
 2d), Fredericksburg (Dec. 11th to Dec. 15th). In 1868, Pol- 
 lock's Mill Creek (April 29th to May 2d), Chancellosville 
 (May 3d), Bank's Ford (May 4th) Deep Run (Juue 5th), 
 Mine Run Campaign (Nov. 26th to Dec. 2d). In 1864, Wil- 
 derness (May 5th to May 7th), Spottsylvania (May 8th to 
 May 21st), North Anna (May 22d to May 26th), Tolopotomy 
 (May 27th to May 31st), Cold Harbor (June 1st to June 
 12th). In 1865, Deep Bottom (Jan. 27th to Jan. 29th), 
 Hatcher's Run (Feb. 5th to Feb. 8th), White Oak Road 
 (March 28th to March 31st), Fall of Petersburg (April 2d), 
 Appomattox Court House (April 9th)." 
 
 The enlistments from Yates County in companies A and 
 E were as follows: 
 
 Company A — J. Loren Robbins, Second Lieutenant ; 
 Francis M. Halloran, Sergeant ; Daniel M. Hulse, Sergeant; 
 James Campbell, Corporal ; John H. Harrison, Corporal. 
 Privates, Mortimer Adams, Albert Armstrong, James P. Ans- 
 ley, George Beeman, Kingsbury M. Bennett, John Brown, 
 (promoted to Lieutenant,) John Burns, John A. Butler, Or- 
 rin A. Burrill, John Campbell, Rowland Champliu, Roswell 
 S. Clark, Robert N. Coons, Theodore Criscadon, Hugh Cris- 
 cadon, William C. Davenport, James Durham, James H. 
 Dunham, Thomas Evans, Daniel J. Fitzer, Abram Freden- 
 burg^ Sylvester Fredenburg, George B. Gray, Charles G. 
 Gottfried, Michael Halloran, Zachariah S. Helm, Weitzel M. 
 Henderson, Hiram Hibbard, Henry V. L. Jones, James H. 
 Kelly, James F. Lake, Edward Lewis, Jesse Lott, Alonzo T. 
 Lyon, James Mace, Nelson Madison, John W. McFarland, 
 Stephen Matterson, Thomas Miller, James M. Miller, Edwin 
 Miller, Asa Phelps, William Poyneer, Sidney E. Reynolds, 
 
 *Ne\v York in the War of the Rebellion. 
 
THE MILITAEY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 87 
 
 John R. Robiuson, Joel Tomer, Richard M. Turner, John 
 Turner, Henry Turner, Cornelius Van Huysen, Joseph G. 
 Watkins, R. Wesley Welch, Leauder S. Whitehorn, Henry 
 AVilliams, Joseph Worden, Charles Wright. 
 
 Company E — Privates, John H. Brewer, Andrus H. Carr, 
 Arnold Dawes, Hiram W. Lawhead, Philip R. Loder. 
 
 Company G — Melville D. Miller, private, also artificer; D. 
 Brewster Sayre, private. 
 
 Company M — Asa Hedge, private. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The One Hundred and Forty-eighth Regiment of Infantry. 
 
 IMPORTANT service to the Nation was rendered during the 
 Great Civil War by the One Hundred and Forty-eighth 
 Regiment, New York Vohmteers, which was raised in the coun- 
 ties of Yates, Ontario, and Seneca, and organized September 
 14, 1862. At the time of its organization the field and staff 
 officers were as follows: Colonel, William Johnson, Seneca 
 Falls; Lieutenant-Colonel, George M. Guion, Seneca Falls; 
 Major, John B. Murray, Seneca Falls; Adjutant, Henry T. 
 Noyes, Starkey; Quartermaster, Albert Woodruff, Lodi; 
 Surgeon, Henry Simmons, Canandaigua; First Assistant 
 Surgeon, C. H. Carpenter, Phelps; Second Assistant Sur- 
 geon, Frank Seelye, Rushville. 
 
 In Yates County were recruited Companies B, F, and I.* 
 Of these the following were the line officers : Company B. — 
 Captain, Hiram T. Hewitt; First Lieutenant, Hanford Stru- 
 ble ; t Second Lieutenant, George W. Waddell. Company 
 F. — Captain, Harvey G. Gardner; First Lieutenant, Melviu 
 D. Wilson; Second Lieutenant, Aaron J. Cook. Company 
 I. — Captain, Martin S. Hicks; First Lieutenant, John Coo- 
 ley; Second Lieutenant, Morgan D. Tracy, 2d.:l: 
 
 The One Hundred and Forty-eighth left the place of ren- 
 dezvous at Camp Swift, Geneva, on the 22d of September. 
 The regiment, when it departed, consisted of twelve com- 
 panies. Ten being the required number, orders were re- 
 
 *The remaining companies of the 148th Regiment were recruited as 
 follows: Companies A, E, and H in Seneca County ; and Companies C, 
 D, G, and K in Ontario County. 
 
 t After a few months Lieutenant Struble was appointed to a position on 
 the staff of General Egbert Viele, with the rank of Major, and served as 
 Provost-Marshal of the city of Portsmouth, Va. Later he served in the 
 same capacity at Norfolk on the staff successively of Generals Barnes, 
 Potter, Wild, and Vodges. and still later as permanent aid on the staff of 
 General George F. Shepley. 
 
 I Resigned December 28, 1862, 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 89 
 
 ceivecl, on the arrival of the command (by steamer via Seneca 
 Lake) at Watkins, directing two of the companies to return 
 to Geneva. The two companies that returned became, on 
 the 3d of October, part of the Forty-fourth Regiment, N. Y. 
 V. One of these two had been raised in Yates County, and 
 was at tirst Company M, of the One Hundred and Forty- 
 eighth, and later new Company C, of the Forty-fourth. Its 
 line officers were as follows: Captain, Bennett L. Hunger; 
 First Lieutenant, Elzer B. James; Second Lieutenant, 
 Charles Kelly." The One Hundred and P'orty-eighth Regi- 
 ment proceeded from Watkins by rail, arriving at Baltimore 
 the next morning, and was there served with an excellent 
 breakfast by the ladies of the city. The command went on 
 to Washington, where it continued to drill for several days 
 on Capitol Hill. It then left Washington, and, going by 
 transport by way of Fortress Monroe, landed at Portsmouth, 
 Va. From Portsmouth the regiment went by rail through 
 the Dismal Swamp to Suffolk, and was there stationed on 
 guard duty in the rifle pits. Suffolk was then being put 
 into a state of defence by the Union forces commanded by 
 General John J. Peck, of Syracuse. The One Hundred and 
 Forty-eighth, after a few weeks, moved from the entrench- 
 ments and encamped on Paradise Creek, near Portsmouth. 
 The whole regiment then relieved the Nineteenth Wisconsin 
 and moved and went into camp, part in Portsmouth and 
 part across the river in Norfolk. The different companies 
 composing the One Hundred and Forty-eighth were for a 
 considerable time on detached duty, but were again collected 
 together and all encamped in the court-house yard in Norfolk 
 and in other parts of the town. Here they remained until 
 the opening of. the spring campaign of 18GI. The regiment 
 then moved to Yorktown, and became part of the Second 
 Brigade of the Second Division of the Army of the James, 
 under the chief command of General B. F. Butler. 
 
 The advance of this army up the James river began on 
 the 4th of May, 18GI. The One Hundred and Forty-eighth 
 Regiment, going by transport, arrived and landed with the 
 rest of the troops at Bermuda Hundred. Skirmishes with 
 
 *See Page 51. 
 
90 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 the euemy occurred at Clover Hill on the 8th, and at Swift 
 Creek on the 12th. Early in the morning of the 16th, dur- 
 ing a heavy fog, a sudden and sharp attack was made upon 
 our forces in front of Drury's Bluff" by the Confederates 
 under Beauregard. The Union troops fought bravely and 
 obtained some advantage, but Butler, evidently under a mis- 
 apprehension, ordered a retreat. Another skirmish in which 
 the One Hundred and Forty-eighth took part occurred on 
 the 26th at Port Walthall Junction. General Butler's whole 
 army returned to its entrenchments at Bermuda Hundred, 
 from which position no offensive movement in the direction 
 desired could possibly be attempted, as the enemy, intrench- 
 ing strongly in his front, thus covered the railroads, the city, 
 and all that was valuable to him. His army, therefore, 
 though in a position of great security, was as completely 
 shut off from further operations directly against Eichmond 
 as if it had been in a bottle strongly^corked. It required 
 but a comparatively small force of the enemy to hold it 
 there. t 
 
 The position at Bermuda Hundred could, according to the 
 opinion of General Grant, be held by a less force than But- 
 ler had under him, therefore, on the 24th of May, the Eigh- 
 teenth Corps, in which was included the One Hundred and 
 Forty-eight Regiment, was ordered to join the Army of the 
 Potomac. The corps commander at that time was General 
 
 *The rebel plan, of massing brigade after brigade in line of battle and 
 hurling them in rotation against us, was here tried, with very bad results. 
 General Smith, with that forethought which is characteristic of him, an- 
 ticipating some such move on the part of the enemy, had ordered a large 
 quantity of telegraph wire to be intertwisted among the trees and under- 
 growth which lay in front of our position. Wister and Burnham received 
 the order and obeyed it. Heckman failed, unfortunately, to get it. 
 When, therefore, the rebels charged upon our intrenchments in the dull 
 light, hundreds of them were tripped down and unable to tell the cause. 
 As they lay upon the ground, our musketry-fire kept many of them from 
 ever rising more. As with the first line, so with the second. They met 
 the same fate. The third line fared no better, and this simple agency of 
 a telegraphic wire, interlaced among the trees, played more havoc in the 
 rebel ranks than anything else. The dead lay like autumn leaves before 
 the front of Wister and Burnham. — Headley's History of the Great Re- 
 bellion, Vol. 2. 
 
 t General Grant's Official Report. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 91 
 
 W. F. Smith, familiarly known as "Baldy" Smith, and who 
 had formerly commanded a brigade, of which the Thirty- 
 third New York Volunteers had formed a part. The One 
 Hundred and Forty-eighth joined the Army of the Potomac 
 by way of the White House, to Avhich place it arrived by 
 transport, passing down the James and up the York river. 
 The regiment, then commanded by Colonel George M. 
 Guiou, participated in the battle of Cold Harbor (June 3, 
 1864.) In the sanguinary contests in front of Petersburg a 
 prominent part was taken by the One Hundred and Forty- 
 eighth, particularly in the fight at Rowlett's House on the 
 15tli. At the Mine Explosion, on the morning of July 30tli, 
 the regiment, Avith its division, was ordered forward to the 
 support of the attacking column that charged into the Cra- 
 ter. On the 29th of September the very strong fortifications 
 and entrenchments below Chapin's Farm on the north' side 
 of the James, and known as Fort Harrison, were carried, in 
 an attack by the Eighteenth Corps, led by General E. O. C. 
 Ord. The regiment distinguished itself in this action, and 
 proved to all that its designation as "The Gallant One Hun- 
 dred and Fortj'-eighth " was well deserved. In the assault 
 on Fort Gilmore, however, on the next day, a repulse fol- 
 lowed. At the second battle of Fair Oaks, fought October 
 27tli, the regiment suffered severely in killed and wounded. 
 In the beginning of November the One Hundred and Forty- 
 eighth Regiment was detailed, with other forces, to accom- 
 pany General Butler to New York City, for the purpose of 
 keeping order on election day, as it was anticipated that a 
 riot Avould take place on that occasion.* The regiment, on 
 its return to the seat of war, encamped at Deep Bottom, on 
 the James, where it remained during the winter of ISGl-'GS. 
 The final campaign opened in the spring of 1865, the One 
 Hundred and Forty-eighth taking part in the engagement of 
 March 31st at Hatcher's Run. 
 
 On Sunday, the 2d of April, a grand assault was made by 
 the whole army on the entire line of the enemy's fortifica- 
 tions to the south of Petersburg. The Confederates made a 
 
 *The troops during their stay remained on board their transports in 
 the harbor, to be ready if needed. 
 
92 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 brave and determined resistance at various points along the 
 line of tlieir intrenchments, particularly at Fort Gregg, but 
 they were overcome and the fort captured by a gallant 
 charge, in which the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Eegi- 
 ment bore a noble share. General Sheridan, with an over- 
 whelming force, had already swept around from the left, 
 when the enemy gave it up and fled in confusion, leaving in 
 our hands their guns and a great many prisoners. That 
 night both Petersburg and Richmond were evacuated. 
 
 On the following morning the portion of the army under 
 command of General Weitzel marched into Richmond, with 
 bands playing and colors flying.* The enemy in their re- 
 treat had fired the city, and a heavy conflagration Avas then 
 ragiug.t Among the subordinate officers, who, at that time, 
 
 *Headley's History of the Great Rebellion, Vol. 2. 
 
 fThe very remarkable scene, which was on that morning presented, is 
 thus described by E. A. Pollard, the Southorn historian : " By 10 o'clock, 
 when several thousands of the [Federal] enemy had marched into the 
 city, the scene had become fearfully sublime. It was a scene in which 
 the horrors of a great conflagration struggled for the forepart of the pic- 
 ture, while the grand army, brilliant with steel and banners, breaking 
 into the circle of fire with passionate cheers, and the crash of triumphant 
 martial music, dazzled the spectator and confounded his imagination. 
 The flames had already spread over the chief business portion of the city, 
 brands were flying toward the capitol, and it seemed at one time as if the 
 whole of Richmond would be destroyed — that the whole wicked city 
 would rush skyward in a pyramid of fire. A change in the wind, how- 
 ever, drove back the fire from the high plateau above Franklin Street, 
 where, if the flames had once lodged, they would soon have traversed the 
 length and breadth of the city. * * * All that was terrible in sounds 
 was added to all that was terrible in sights. While glittering regiments 
 carried tlieir strong lines of steel through the smoke; while smoke- 
 masked robbers fought for their plunder; while the lower streets ap- 
 peared as a great pit of fire, the crater of destruction ; while alarmed cit- 
 izens, who had left their property a ruin or a spoil, found a brief repose 
 on the sward of the Capitol Square, whose emerald green was already 
 sown with brands— the seeds of fire that the merciless wind had sown to 
 the very door of the capitol ; while the lengthening arms of the confla- 
 gration appeared to almost reach around those who had fled to the pic- 
 turesque hill for a breath of fresh air — sounds as terrible and more vari- 
 ous than those of battle assailed the air and smote the already overtaxed 
 imagination. There were shells at the Confederate arsenal exposed to 
 the fire, from the rapid progress of which they could no longer be res- 
 cued, and for hours the explosion of these tore the air and shook the 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY, 93 
 
 entered Richmond, was General George F. Sliepley, whose 
 chief of staff at the time was Major Hanford Struble, of 
 Yates County.* President Lincohi, who had beeu at Cit}' 
 Point, also visited Richmond in the course of the day. Dur- 
 ing the remainder of the week, the enemy (who, after the 
 fall of Richmond, had retreated towards Dansville,) were 
 hotly pursued, and the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Reg- 
 iment was again in action on the 6th at Rice's Station.!" On 
 the 9th of April Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court 
 House, While in Richmond, after the surrender, the One 
 Hundred and Fort^-eighth had the pleasure of greeting 
 (Ma}^ 7th) the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth New York 
 Volunteers, in which regiment a large proportion of the 
 members were from the Couniy of Yates, The One Hun- 
 dred and Forty-eighth Regiment was mustered out at Rich- 
 mond on the 20th of June, The veterans who had com- 
 posed the command then went b}' transport to Baltimore, 
 and from Baltimore to Elniira, where they received final 
 pa}" and discharge, July 3, 1865, From Elmira they went to 
 their several homes, having performed for their country a 
 service that will ever stand high in public estimation. 
 
 The field and staff officers of the One Hundred and Forty- 
 eighth, at the time the regiment was mustered out, were as 
 follows : Colonel, John B. Murray, Seneca Falls ; Lieuten- 
 ant-Colonel, Fred L, Manning, Seneca Falls; Major, John 
 Cooley, Penn Yan; Adjutant, Dewitt C, Wilber, Seneca 
 Falls; Quartermaster, Charles S, Martin, Waterloo; Sur- 
 geon, C, H, Carpenter; Seneca Falls ; Chaplain, Ferris Scott, 
 Phelps; Sergeant-Major, Myers T, Webb, Dundee; Com- 
 missary-Sergeant, Rynear Tunison, Lodi ; Hospital-Steward, 
 James M, Smith, Penn Y'^an; Principal Musician, George 
 Beebe, Penn Yan. 
 
 houses in their vicinity. Crowds of negroes roamed through the streets, 
 their wild, coarse voices raised in hymns of jubilation, thanking God for 
 their freedom, and a few steps further might be heard the blasphemous 
 shouts of those who fought with the red-handed fire for their prey." — 
 Life of Jefferson Davis, zvith a Secret History of the Confederacy. 
 
 *See note 2, page 88. 
 
 t Lieutenant Caleb G. Jackson, of Company I, was killed in this engage- 
 ment, being the last man killed belonging to the regiment. 
 
94 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Line Officers. — Company B, Captain, H. H. Hopkins ; 
 Company F, Captain, Aaron J. Cook ; First Lieutenant, 
 Fred P. Cook ; Company I, Captain, Edward Cole ; Second 
 Lieutenant, Luther S. Meeker. 
 
 The muster-in roll of Companies B, F, and I is as follows : 
 Company B. — Hiram T. Hewitt, Captain ; Hanford Stru- 
 ble, First Lieutenant; George W. Waddell, Second Lieuten- 
 ant ; Randall G. Bacon, Orderly ; James Monroe Shoemaker, 
 Second Sergeant; George Beebe, Third Sergeant; Legrand 
 Terry, Fourth Sergeant ; Myers T. Webb, Fifth Sergeant ; 
 Anson A. Raplee, First Corporal; Byron Beam, Second 
 Corporal ; Charles Smith, Third Corporal ; Leroy Green, 
 Fourth Corporal ; David Griswold, Fifth Corporal ; Perry 
 W. Danes,!" Sixth Corporal; James H. Coons, Seventh Cor- 
 poral ; John DeBolt,* Eighth Corporal ; Privates, Henry N. 
 Armstrong,^ Samuel P. Benham, Alfred Brown, Charles W. 
 Bush, Andrew Bradley, Henry F. Buckley, Joseph Conklin, 
 George W. Chamberlain, Daniel Cook, Foster P. Cook, 
 Richard Chapman, Charles Chambers, William H. Cham- 
 bers, Harmon O. Chambers, John Clark^'' George Coons, 
 Joseph B. Clark," Sanford B. Dickinson, Perry Dunton, 
 Joseph A. Decker, William B. Davies, David Dunham,^ 
 James M. Egerton, Alvin B. Eaves, James S. Ellis, Charles 
 H. Elwood, Michael Fitzgerald, t James E. Foster, George 
 G. Fulkerson, Lindla C. Foster, Benjamin Grace, Alfred 
 Griswold, Charles W. Gabriel, Myron A. Guthrie, Samuel 
 Headley, Albert Headley, Alexander P. Houghtailing, Ste- 
 phen K. Halleck, Francis L. Hall, Freeman L. Hilliger,* 
 John L. Headley, David Hughes, Volney S. Haff, John 
 Kean, John H. Knapp, George Katterer,:): Jerome B. La- 
 fever, Thomas B. Little, Elisha Lackey,| George F. Mitchell,t 
 Warren McDuffee, John Morrison, Samuel Minard, AndreAV 
 Morrison, Adam S. Miller, Theodore J. Murray, Thomas E. 
 Raplee, Charles F. Rentz, Ira H. Robinson, Charles Ross, 
 Charles Shiltz,* Lyman A. Stoll, Peter G. Swarts, Charles 
 M. Swarthout, James M. Smith, Thomas J. Strait, Squire V. 
 Straway, Mason Spink, Edward A. Tennant, Samuel R. Ten- 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. fDied. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 95 
 
 nant,|, George E. Tulbs,t James Tuttle, Joliu H. TymersGn.t 
 Nelson E. Woodruff, James M. Witler, George M. Winaus. 
 
 Company F. — Harvey R. Gardner,! Captain ; Melvin D, 
 Wilson, First Lieutenant; Aaron J. Cook,t Second Lieuten- 
 ant; William S. Vorce, Orderly; Nathaniel H. Green, Sec- 
 ond Sergeant; Frank C. Fairchild, Third Sergeant; William 
 H. Kelsey, Fourth Sergeant ; Leroy J. Harkness, Fifth Ser- 
 geant; Robert Mills, First Corporal; John Earl, Second 
 Corporal ; William S. Huie, Third Corporal ; Charles W. 
 Peters, Fourth Corporal; William N. Reddout, Fifth Cor- 
 poral; James M. Gates, Sixth Corporal; Charles S. Van 
 Ness, Seventh Corporal; David Crist, Eighth Corporal; 
 Philip Walthers, Jr., Henry A. Sayre,:!: Musicians; Ezra 
 Prouty, Wagoner; Privates, James G. Ansley, George A. 
 Ausley,:|: Jonas Austin,§ William Blue,t George Broad- 
 brooks," Lansford O. Babbit, John W. Barnes, Hiram H. 
 Barnes," John H. Benedict, George W. Benedict,§ Lewis R. 
 Carvey, Owen Conway,t John Conway, Albert W. Clark, 
 William H. Cole, John J. Conley,| William A. Carr, John S. 
 Caton, William H. Crocker,* Daniel Davis, Claudius C. 
 Farr, George W. Fisher, George Ford, Joseph C. Foster, 
 Jacob W. Fountain, William H. Fountain, William H. Fran- 
 cisco, John C. Fox, Francis Farr, Frederick Green, Benjamin 
 Gleason, L}- man Gray,! William Ginther,* Nathan A. Goff'," 
 Lyman D. Green,!" Myron F. Hawley, William T, Hawley, 
 Henry Hiltebidal,'"' George W. Hall, John Hanlon,* Jerome 
 S. Johnson,* Jacob Korb, John J. Lawton,:}; Alanson E. 
 Lj'on, William Lamereaux, Wilber Loomis,:j: Daniel Mc- 
 Ginniss, AVilliam Monagle, Ashley McDonald, George N. 
 Miller,:!: Lawrence McCumber, Willis Nicholson, Martin W. 
 Parsons, Ezra P. Pritchard,§ George H. Parsons, John 
 Pierce, Jacob H. Radley, Josiah Reed, Barney C. Ross, 
 Albert I. Sharp, Charles W. Stark,!" Theodore M. Stearns, 
 Samuel Salsbury, George Sherwood, § Joseph Sprague,!" John 
 Shannon, John Slater,* Loyal C. Twitchell, Manlius L. Tay- 
 lor, Franklin Thompson, Norman Taylor,* Jonathan G. 
 Twitchell, Robert Underhill,§ Abram Yoorhees, William A. 
 Wilson,!' William H. Wolvin, Levi Waters, Emory N. Wil- 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. J Died. | Deserted. 
 
96 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 son,§ George Wright,* Isaac Wilkius, Thomas F. Wells, 
 Charles E. Wells, Abraham Youngs. 
 
 Company I. — Martin S. Hicks, i" Captain ; John Coolej,t 
 First Lieutenant; Morgan D. Tracy, 2d, Second Lieutenant; 
 Edward Cole, Orderly ; Charles C. Miller,t Leonard M. Bo- 
 hall, Caleb G. Jackson,* Oliver F. Long,t Luther S. Meeker, 
 Sergeants; J. Harvey Randall, Richard M. Jones, John L. 
 Potter," Lawrence Cooney, Jr.,t Walter W. Becker, George 
 Schofield, Samuel P. Strong, William Welcher,t Corporals; 
 Privates, George B. Alvord, Robert D. Brown, Lucius B. 
 Bennett, Franklin D. Becker,! Isaac D. Blood, Martin But- 
 ler, Isaac Benson,;}; William P. Blouiu, John Carr,t James B. 
 Crouch, + Stephen Coon, William Cornell, Lorenzo D. Capell, 
 Peter S. Conklin,"'^ Clark Castner, Ward Campbell,;}; Albert 
 E. Dean, S. Decker, William A. Dimning,"' Patrick Dufty," 
 Henry M. Dunbar, -' Jordan Davis,t James H. Eckersou,* Wil- 
 liam H. Fries, t Peter Finger,^ Oliver M. Finger,! George D. 
 Feagles," William D. Frye,* William Gallagher,! Edward L. 
 Granger, George S. Gardner, Charles Gray, James German, 
 Abraham Houghtailing, Henry Hurlbert,t Isaac Haunsond, 
 Sidney House,t AVilliam Huber,! Benjamin F. Hood,t 
 Robert Holaies, Jr., George Hillier, Luther S. Hayes, John 
 J. Jackson,t John Keating, Stephen H. Kitch,! Dennis 
 Lewis,! Simeon Lackey, Damon Lay,! William Matthews,! 
 H. R. Meade,! Abraham Miller, Lewis B. Moon, Seely E. 
 Palmatier, John D. Pool,! Lorenzo N. Pettit,! Oliver Press- 
 ler,t Andrew J. Phelps, Willis E. Pierce,;); Otis B. Ryall,! 
 George Robertson, Aaron D. Robertson,! Jarvis W. Randall, 
 Lewis B. Randall, Charles H. Reno, Frank Smith,! Gideon 
 C. Spink, Isaac Spink, Luther Sisson, Alonzo Spears,! 
 David Sands,! Edward H. Sine,! Philip L. Shaw,! Daniel S. 
 Shaw,§ J. H. YanBenthuysen,* Augustus Whitaker, David 
 P. Wilcox, William Wright,§ J. J. AYright,! Charles E. 
 Willis," Charles W. Wheeler, Lemuel Wheat, Alva H. 
 Wheat,! John C. Youngs.§ 
 
 Company E. — Ezra Feuuer, Private. 
 
 Company G. — Privates, Bennett Bogardus, Benjamin 
 Miles. 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. J Died, g Deserted. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The First Independent Battery— Batterj- B (Third Ught Artillery)— The 
 Fourteenth and Sixteenth Heavy Artillery. 
 
 THE FIRST INDEPENDENT BATTERY. 
 
 THE First Independent Battery of Light Artillery was 
 organized and mustered into service at Anburn, Nov. 
 23, 1861. It served in the Fourth Corps of the Army of the 
 Potomac through the Peninsular Campaign, and in the Sixth 
 Corps during the Gettysburg and AVilderness campaigns. 
 It also served in the Shenandoah Valley and in the contests 
 before Petersburg in the Twenty-second Corps, and again 
 in the Sixth Corps to the close of the war. Commanded by 
 Captain Andrew Cowan, it was honorably discharged and 
 mustered out June 22, 1865, at Syracuse, N. Y. 
 
 The following artillerymen in the First Independent Bat- 
 tery were from Yates County: Privates, John B. Cornell, 
 John Lyon,* James Moon, Elijalf Townsend. 
 
 BATTERY B (THIRD LIGHT ARTILLERY). 
 
 On the 17th of December, 1861, a new company, under 
 Captain Joseph J. Morrison, t recruited in part in Penn Yan, 
 was mustered iuto the United States service for three years 
 at New York. The company remained in garrison at Palace 
 Garden in that city until the following March, when orders 
 were received to go to the front. The company went from 
 New York to Arlington Heights, and after being stationed 
 in Fort Corcoran, Fort Ethan Allen, and Fort DeKalb, was 
 sent by transport to New Berne, N. C. At this place it was 
 converted (in May, 1862) into a light battery, and was desig- 
 nated as Battery B, of the Third Light Artillery. This bat- 
 tery served in the artillery brigade of the Eighteenth Corps 
 in the expedition from New Berne to Goldsboro (Dec. 11 to 
 17, 1862), and participated in engagements at Little Wash- 
 
 * Wounded. 
 
 t Afterwards Colonel of the i6th Heavy Artillery. 
 
98 THE MILITAEY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 ington, Kinston, Whitehall, Goldsboro, Hamilton, Southport 
 Creek, and Wall's Mills. Battery B then served during 1863 
 and the greater part of 1864 on St. Helena Island, near Port 
 Royal, S. C, and on Seabrook Island, Folly Island, Morris 
 Island, Cole's Island, John's Island, James Island, and Sul- 
 livan's Island, in and about Charleston Harbor, taking part 
 in the seige of and assault upon Fort Wagner, and the bom- 
 bardment of Fort Sumter and of Charleston. 
 
 In the last of November, 1864, General Foster, command- 
 ing on the above mentioned sea islands, was directed by 
 General Halleck to make a demonstration inland in behalf 
 of General Sherman, who was then on his triumphant march 
 across the State of Georgia. General Foster, taking five 
 thousand men, ascended Broad River (in South Carolina) on 
 steamboats, landing at Devaux Neck. The advance under 
 General Hatch (in which Battery B was included) having 
 been sent forward to seize the Charleston and Savannah 
 railroad, encountered (Nov. 30th) a strong Confederate force 
 entrenched on Honey Hill, covering the railroad. A sharp 
 conflict ensued, which lasted till nightfall.* The Union 
 troops were repulsed, but they succeeded in cutting the rail- 
 road and in tiring and destroying the railroad bridge over 
 the Coosawatchie River. Battery B was afterward stationed, 
 for about three weeks, at Fort Pocotaligo, there meeting 
 Sherman's army, which had taken Savannah, and was on 
 the march northward. At the fall of Charleston, Batter}' B 
 was among the forces that occupied the city. It then moved to 
 Orangeburg, then to Branch ville, then to Columbia, and then 
 back again to Charleston, embarking at that place for New 
 York, and was mustered out July 13, 1865, at Syracuse, un- 
 der Captain Thomas J. Mersereau. 
 
 The following soldiers from Yates County served in Bat- 
 
 * Private James H. Greening, of Batterj' B, was mortally wounded in 
 this battle, and died at Hilton Head, S. C, on Christmas Day. The 
 Yates Cojiuty Chronicle mentioned him as follows : "James H. Green- 
 ing died at Hilton Head, Dec. 25th, aged 28 years. He was wounded at 
 the battle of Honey Hill, Nov. 30th. His father, Jacob Greening, died a 
 soldier in this war, having served in the 105th N. Y. Vols. We learn 
 that James proved himself a good soldier, and that he also evinced him- 
 self a kind and dutiful son by sending his wages to his mother." 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 99 
 
 terj B, Third Ligbt Artillery: George C.Breck, Second Lieu- 
 tenant ; Delos C. Hubbard, Drill Sergeant ; Privates, Lee 
 Bookstaver, Warren Brenenstull, James H. Eckerson, Wil- 
 liam F. Edgett, Nelson Elliott, Michael Farrell, David 
 Finger,t, Harlow Finger, James H. Greening,* George J. 
 Greening, Sylvester Griswold, Aaron Grisvvold, Johnson 
 Henries,'!' Albert Henries, John Hughes, Patrick Lahan, 
 Edward M. Lester, John Light, Andrew J. Matthews, 
 Darius Matthews, Stephen Matthews, Vosburgh McGlaugh- 
 lin, George H. McGlaughlin,t Warren Miller,!' William H. 
 Miller,t John S. Phelps, Charles A. Kector, John F. Rob- 
 inson, James H. Smith, Albert Travis, Edward A. Travis, 
 John Travis, Robert H. Wilson. Battery E, Charles Ham- 
 mond, private. 
 
 THE FOURTEENTH ARTILLERY ( HEAVY). 
 
 The Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery, Colonel Elisha 
 G. Marshall commanding, was organized at Rochester and 
 numbered among its members many who had previously 
 seen two years' military service. Companies G and L, 
 each recruited in part in Yates County, were, respectively on 
 the 7th of December, 1863, and on the 8th of Januar}', 1864, 
 mustered at Rochester into the United States service for 
 three j^ears. The two companies were then ordered to re- 
 port for duty in New York Harbor. Company G was sta- 
 tioned at Fort Richmond and Company L at Sandy Hook, 
 together with Compau}^ M, in which commanded George 
 Brennan, of Yates County, as First Lieutenant, afterward 
 promoted to Captain. These three companies, with the 
 rest of the regiment, remained serving as heavy artillery and 
 infantry in New York harbor until April, 1864, when orders 
 were received to join the Army of the Potomac. The regi- 
 ment, going by transport, united with this arm}^ at Wash- 
 ington and became part of the Third Brigade of the First 
 Division of the Ninth Corps.j In the Wilderness campaign 
 (May 5 to June 2, 1864) it was actively engaged, taking part 
 in the following battles: The Wilderness, Spottsylvauia, 
 
 * Killed. tWouuded. 
 
 JThe Fourteenth New York Heavy Artillery was at this time formed 
 into three battalions. 
 
100 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 North Amia, Tolopotomy, Betliesda Church, and Cold Har- 
 bor. The regiment lost in this last engagement Captain 
 Luther Kieffer and Lieutenant Elisha Bentlj, killed and one 
 hundred and nineteen enlisted men killed, wounded, and 
 missing. In assaults on the enemy's works in front of 
 Petersburg the Fourteenth Heavy Artillery lost heavily in 
 killed and wounded, among the former being Major Job C. 
 Hedges, Captain Nimrod Underhill, Jr., and Lieutenant 
 Andrew Gossin. At the Mine Explosion on the morning of 
 July 30, 1864, the regiment was the first of the charging 
 column to enter the Crater.* It here lost Lieutenant Ezra 
 T. Hartley and nine enlisted men killed, and five officers 
 and one hundred and eight enlisted men wounded and miss- 
 ing. It then participated at the taking of the Weldon Rail- 
 road! (Ai^g- l^^th to 21st), and in engagements at Pegram 
 Farm (Sept. 30th) and Hatcher's Run (Oct. 27th). 
 
 On the 25th of March, 1865, an attempt was made by Lee 
 to break through Grant's lines, and a vigorous assault was 
 made by the Confederates upon Fort Steadman. The as- 
 sault was made at daybreak by two divisions under General 
 Gordon, the Fourteenth Louisiana Tigers taking the lead, 
 and the fort and two morter batteries adjoining it were taken. 
 
 *A crater, a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide, and twenty feet deep 
 appeared where the six-gun fort had been, over which hung a cloud of 
 mingled dust and smoke like a great pall. The next moment came the 
 roar of a gun, and then another and another, till a hundred cannon along 
 our line were playing upon the rebel batteries. The bugles rang out, the 
 drums beat, and in dashed Ledlie's division, Marshall's brigade leading 
 the advance. Though taken wholly by surprise, the rebels rallied with 
 wonderful quickness and in a short time, from right and left, their ar- 
 tillery was in full play on the storming party, that, with loud cheers, 
 charged on a run over the intervening space. The Fourteenth New York 
 Heavy Artillery first entered the gap, followed by Marshall's second bri- 
 gade, which went pellmell into the smoking crater, from the bottom of 
 which protruded half buried limbs and mangled bodies of men. — Head- 
 ley's History of the Great Rebellion, Vol. 2. 
 
 t Horace Greeley, in describing the taking of the Weldon Railroad 
 {The American Co?i/lict, Vol. 2), says: "After a pause he [Gen. Warren] 
 moved on, and was soon struck on his left flank — the enemy advancing 
 by a road wholly unknown to our officers — and 200 of the Maryland bri- 
 gade captured. The brigade, falling back under tlie wing of the 14th N. 
 Y. Heavy Artillery (now serving as infantry), that regiment stood its 
 ground, and by rapid and deadly volleys repelled the enemy. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 101 
 
 Here the triumph of the enemy ended. The assault on Fort 
 Haskell, to the left of Fort Steadman, though determinedly 
 made, was promptly repulsed. Companies G and H and 
 six other companies belonging to the Fourteenth Heavy Ar- 
 tillery were, at the time of this attack, stationed in a redoubt 
 to the right of Fort Steadman, and Companies L and M 
 were stationed in Fort Haskell. The regiment,§ though 
 surprised, fought bravely and grandly aided in repulsing the 
 enemy, and also took a leading part in the counter-assault 
 by which a portion of the Confederate outer works were 
 captured. The Fourteenth Heavy Artillery further distin- 
 guished itself in the capture of and entry into Petersburg 
 on the 2d of April. The regiment, still commanded by 
 Colonel Marshall, was honorably discharged and mustered 
 out Aug. 26, 1865, at Washington, D. C. 
 
 The citizens of Yates County in Companies G, H, L, and 
 M, were as follows : 
 
 Company G. — Privates, James E. Almy,t Samuel An- 
 drews, George H. Blakesley, Dewitt C. Bassett, Levi E. 
 Bassett, John A. Bailey,t Lee Bookstaver, Robert Bell, 
 George W. Carr, Daniel Dailey," George Davis, James A. 
 Dayton, Andrew J. Dunn, Llewellyn Dunn, George B. 
 Dunn, William Fowler,t George N. Ford, Adelbert Haight, 
 Michael Halloran, James Hunter, Mason Lang, Amos Mc- 
 Glaughlin, Michael Mahar,t John M. Mahan, Matthew 
 Maddox, Charles L. Paris, Patrick Queenan, Benjamin 
 Rhodes, George Reynolds, George F. Spragne, Charles 
 Shuter, Eugene L. Smith, Martin Schiem, Seymour H. 
 Shultz, Jeremiah E. Sprague,t (promoted to Sergeant, after- 
 wards to Second Lieutenant,) Lee Thomas, John Tuell," Oliver 
 Wyman, Hazard Wheeler. Company H — Adelbert Dorman, 
 James Peckins. Company L — Privates, Nathaniel S. Briggs, 
 
 i^The loss sustained by the 14th N. Y. Heavy Artillery iu this action 
 was nine officers and 265 enlisted men killed, wounded, and taken pris- 
 oners. Major Charles H. Houghton, who was in command of the bat- 
 talion at Fort Haskell, and through whose bravery the men were enabled 
 to hold the fort until help arrived, was wounded and lost his leg. Ser- 
 geants Stanford J. Bigelow and Thomas Hunter, both of Yates County, 
 were here killed. 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. 
 
102 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Stanford J. Bigelow,"* (promoted to Sergeant), Dewitt C. Bell, 
 Patrick Barrett, Henry O. Briggs, Isaiah D. Brockway,:!^ 
 John S. Constantine, John Covert,t Henry Carey, Charles 
 E. Downing, Andrew J. Dunn, John B. Dunn,|. George 
 Hunter,t Thomas Hnnter,* (promoted to Sergeant), George 
 A. Jennison, Darwin King, John Killcullen, Robert B. 
 Lewis, George McDonald," George D. Moore, John Moxcey, 
 Jr., Melvin Perry, John C. St. John,:)". Gideon C. Spink, 
 William D. Seamans,t Samuel O. Wheaton, John W. Wood- 
 ruff,^" Joseph Woolf. Company M — George Brennan, First 
 Lieutenant (promoted afterward to Captain), William H. 
 Gladding, Private (transferred to the Norfolk Post Band). 
 
 THE SIXTEENTH ARTILLERY (HEAVY.) 
 
 The Sixteenth Regiment, Artillery, New York, Colonel 
 Joseph J. Morrison commanding, was organized in the year 
 1863 at New York City, and as rapidly as batteries were re- 
 cruited and organized they were sent on to the South, locating 
 at Yorktown and at Gloucester Point, Ya. At the latter named 
 place they went into winter quarters, remaining there until 
 the spring of 'Gl. At that time a portion of the regiment 
 was sent to Williamsburg and Fort Magruder on the Penin- 
 sula above Yorktown, and another portion to Yorktown, the 
 rest remaining at Gloucester Point. 
 
 In the latter part of the spring or early summer of the 
 same year Companies A, B, C, F, G, and K, comprising a 
 battalion under command of Major Frederick W. Prince, 
 were ordered to Bermuda Hundred and served as infantry, 
 and in this battalion Company (or Battery) G was com- 
 manded by Captain Morris F. Sheppard, of Yates County. 
 When General Butler, in July, called for volunteers to com- 
 mence the digging of the Dutch Gap Canal, these six com- 
 panies responded to the call and were the first to engage in 
 that work. Later they were attached to the Second Brigade 
 of the First Division of the Tenth Army Corps, under Gen- 
 eral Terry, in the trenches in front of Petersburg, and while 
 there were for many weeks under continuous fire by day and 
 niffht. 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. J Died. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 103 
 
 In October they marched across the Peuiusula with But- 
 ler's army to Deep Bottom, and succeeded in reaching closer 
 to Richmond than any other troops prior to this time. In 
 fact they could distinctly hear the fire alarm bells, by which 
 the residents called out the reserve. During this period 
 they took part in a number of engagements, namely : West 
 Point, Va., Dutch Gap Canal, Deep Bottom, Cox's Landing, 
 James River, Petersburg Entrenchments, Signal Hill, Cha- 
 pin's Farm, Laurel Hill," Darbytown Road and Charles City 
 Road, Fort Fisher, Cape Fear River Entrenchments, Fort 
 Anderson, Wilmington, and Northeast Branch of Cape Fear 
 River, N. C. They were especially selected by General 
 Terry to accompany his .expedition, which succeeded in the 
 
 *The New York Sunday Mercury of November 6, 1864, contained a 
 letter from a member of the Sixteenth New York Heavy Artillery relating 
 the part taken by that regiment in this engagement that had recently 
 occurred in front of Richmond. From this letter the following extract is 
 taken: "Officers were endeavoring with threats and blows to rally the 
 men, and finally succeeded in forming a line of battle, with the First Di- 
 vision of the Tenth Army Corps. The Second Brigade, called par excel- 
 lence the fighting brigade, stood comparatively calm, awaiting the exultant 
 Johnnys, who, after cautiously surveying the line, chose our regiments' 
 position as the most salient point to attack, hoping we would give way, 
 when the day would be their own, and our army forced back over the 
 James or be annihilated. But thc}^ were mistaken. Our men never 
 fired a gun till they approached within fifteen yards, when a rebel Cap- 
 tain, planting his colors in the ground, shouted, 'Now, you damned 
 Yankees, there is our flag ; we will fight for it. ' These were his last 
 words on this earth — a ball entering his eye sent him to settle accounts 
 with his Maker. The blaze from the musketry was terrific. Not a man 
 flinched. Major Frederick W. Prince cooly cheered his men ; and, without 
 his order, no wounded man was borne to the rear. When one dropped 
 another immediately stepped into his place, and after three-quarters of an 
 hour of as fierce fighting as old veterans declared they had ever witnessed, 
 the Johnnys were glad to retire. The men were anxious to charge after 
 the flag, but it was not permitted, as it was presumed the Rebs would not 
 have displayed so much bravado if they were not well supported by artil- 
 lery. Being in close line, individual bravery had no opportunity of ex- 
 hibiting itself, but the conduct of Captains Green, Beach, and Sheppard, 
 and Ivieutenants Cook, Lawrence, Smart, Hall, and Foster deserves 
 praise. Majors Prince and Pearce acquitted themselves very creditably, 
 and the boys of the Sixteenth have shown themselves worthy of the good 
 opinion always entertained of them by their Colonel, J. J. Morrison, and 
 are entitled to his gratitude. General Terry complimented the regiment 
 twice during the day. Jackson." 
 
104 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 capture of Fort Fislier, and the brigade of which they formed 
 a part were the troops to which the Fort surrendered. Gen- 
 eral Terry expressed his appreciation of the part taken by 
 this regiment by selecting Captain Sheppard, with a large 
 detachment, to conduct the prisoners taken at Fort Fisher, 
 Smithville, and other points in and about the Cape Fear 
 River, to the North. Later, a portion of the regiment, with 
 the rest of the troops under General Terry, captured Wil- 
 mington (February 22, 18G5), and a large number of Union 
 prisoners from Salisbury, Raleigh, and Columbia were at 
 this time transferred into the Federal lines. After Wilming- 
 ton and that part of the Carolinas had been practically 
 abandoned by the Confederates, this regiment was detailed 
 to positions of responsibility in and about the mouth of 
 Cape Fear Eiver. A portion, under Major Prince, was sta- 
 tioned at Fort Fisher, and two companies at Smithville, un- 
 der Captain Sheppard, who was also Provost -Marshal for 
 that part of the State, a position, at that time, of great re- 
 sponsibility. Later, in the summer of 1865, the several com- 
 panies composing the regiment united near Alexandria, Va., 
 and remained together until the latter part of August, Avhen 
 they were sent to Hart's Island and there mustered out. 
 
 The citizens of Yates County in Battery G.were: "Morris 
 F. Sheppard, Captain ; Putnam Demming, Orderly Sergeant ; 
 Privates, Cassius N. McFarren, Addison E. Shultz, Andrew 
 E. Ten Broek. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 The One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Regiment of Infantry. 
 
 AMONG the many re<^iuients which, during the war, 
 were furnished by the Empire State, the One Hun- 
 dred and Seventy-ninth New York Vohmteers is entitled to 
 prominence for the bravery and patriotism that this com- 
 mand in several engagements displa3'ed. The ten companies 
 of infantry, composing the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth, 
 were raised in the following places : Company A, in Horse- 
 heads; Company B, in Ehuira; Company C, in Hornells- 
 ville; Company D, in Dunkirk; Company E, in Buffalo; 
 Company F, in Penn Yan ; Company G, in Buffalo ; Com- 
 pany H, in Ehuira; Company I, in Newffeld ; and ComjKiny 
 K, in Binghamton. The following were the field and staff' 
 officers of the regiment at the time of its organization on the 
 5th of April, 1864 : Colonel, William M. Gregg ; Lieutenant- 
 Colonel, Franklin B. Doty; Major, J. Barnet Sloan; Adju- 
 tant, George W. Cook; Quartermaster, Nathaniel P. T. 
 Finch; Surgeon, Joseph W. Robinson; Assistant-Surgeon, 
 AVilliam C. Bailey; Chaplain, Edwin A. Taft. 
 
 The One Hundred and Seventy-ninth, having been organ- 
 ized, was sent into the field by companies from the place of 
 rendezvous at Elmira. Companies A, B, and C went on in 
 April, 1864, and arrived in Baltimore on the 29th of that 
 month. Companies A and C proceeded via New York City, 
 and Company B by the Northern Central Railroad, the 
 three companies meeting in Baltimore. From there they 
 went to Washington and encamped on Arlington Heights, 
 opi)osite the city. They were here joined about the 1st of 
 May by Companies D and E. Lieutenant-Colonel Franklin 
 B. Doty, also at this time reached the camp and assumed 
 command. From Arlington, about the last of May, they 
 proceeded to White House Landing on the Pamunky River, 
 Va. 
 
 Company F, with Major J. Barnet Sloan, left Elmira on 
 
106 THE MILITAKY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 the 1st of Juue, and joined the regiment at White House 
 Landing. The One Hundred and Seventy-ninth remained 
 here until June 10th, when it united with the Army of Poto- 
 mac at Cold Harbor, while the battle of that name was going 
 on. The regiment was attached to the First Brigade, Colo- 
 nel Pierce, of the First Divisiou, General Ledlie, of the 
 Nine Corps, commanded by General Burnside. The posi- 
 tion in front of Cold Harbor was evacuated as the arm}' 
 moved down the Peninsula, the One Hundred and Seventy- 
 ninth Regiment being the last to leave the skirmish line. 
 The James River was crossed at Wilson's Landing, and a 
 forced march was made to the front of Petersburg, where 
 the regiment arrived on the 16th. The Ninth Corps the 
 same evening supported the Second Corps as it advanced 
 on the Confederate position. At 6 o'clock in the afternoon 
 of the following day the Ninth Corps assailed the enemy's 
 works. In this assault the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth 
 lost half its number in killed, wounded, and missing.* 
 Major J. Barnet Sloan, of Yates County, while bravely lead- 
 ing his regiment in the charge, received a mortal wound. 
 Captain Daniel Blatchford, of Company E, was also killed, 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Franklin B. Doty, Captains Robert T. 
 Stewart, of Compan}' B, and William Bird, Jr., of Company 
 D, were wounded. Captain John Barton, of Company C, 
 was promoted to be Major, July l-lth, in place of Major 
 Sloan, who died of his wound on the 18th of June. 
 
 It will be proper to here give some account of the young 
 and gallant officer last named, who fell while in the service 
 of his country. John Barnet Sloan was born in Penn Yan, 
 January 17, 1839.t In 1861, while a resident of New York 
 City, he enlisted for two years in the Thirty-first Regiment, 
 N. Y. v., with the rank of First Lieutenant. When the 
 
 *As the regiment was going into the fight Corporal John H. Carle}', of 
 Company F, was mortally wounded by a shell. He was buried on the 
 battle-field, and funeral services were observed for him in Penn Yan. 
 
 tHe was married, September 24, i860, to Miss Mary A. Bradley, a sister 
 
 of Lieutenant David A. Bradley, of Company F, of the One Hundred and 
 
 . Seventy-ninth Regiment. Their children are Mary Barnet, the wife of 
 
 Frank E. Wright, of Lewiston, Fergus County, Mont., and Martha E.» 
 
 wife of the Hon. John D. Waite, of Utica, Fergus County, Mont. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTOllY OF YATES COUNTY, 107 
 
 Tliiitj-tirst was ordered from au island iu the harbor of New 
 York to proceed to Washington, some violent characters 
 connected with the regiment refused to go, and it was only 
 by the energy of Lieutenant Sloan and considerable coercion 
 that a mutiny was prevented when they were passing 
 through the city of New York. By this simple occurrence 
 was awakened in the minds of these desperadoes the most 
 deadly hatred and revenge. Soon after their arrival in 
 Washington one of them made a furious assault on the Lieu- 
 tenant. He defended himself and thrust his sword through 
 the body of the ruffian, who died instanth'. The companions 
 of the soldier thus justly killed were more than ever in- 
 censed, and two or three days later another of the insur- 
 gents rushed, with musket and bayonet, at Lieutenant Sloan, 
 who, drawing a revolver, shot him dead. The Lieutenant 
 immediately surrendered himself, and asked for an investi- 
 gation. A court-martial was appointed, which, after a pa- 
 tient hearing of three days, acquitted him from all blame. 
 General McClellan, to whom the verdict of the court had 
 been submitted for approval, asked "to see the young lieu- 
 tenant who had been tried." When Lieutenant Sloan pre- 
 sented himself General McClellan remarked, "Lieutenant, 
 you are acquitted ; you were born to be a soldier. I see 
 that yo\i have but one bar upon your shoulder; you are 
 worthy to wear two." The Lieutenant shortly afterwards 
 received, by order of the General, a Captain's commission. 
 His comrades in the company in which he first enlisted, on 
 learning that he was about to be assigned to the command of 
 another company, petitioned that he might remain, and he 
 became their Captain. Shortly after the siege of Yorktown 
 Captain Sloan's company, with others, was sent out to re- 
 connoitre, and became entirely surrounded by the enemy. 
 After making a detour of about ten miles, and being all this 
 while in the most imminent danger. Captain Sloan, Avith a 
 number of his men, succeeded in reaching the Federal lines, 
 but while approaching they were mistaken for Confederates, 
 and a shell, which, fortunately, failed to explode, fell in their 
 midst. At the battle of Gaines' Mill, Captain Sloan engaged 
 in single combat with a Confederate cavalryman, whom he 
 
108 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 shot tlirougli the head, but not until the trooper had se- 
 verely wounded him in the foot. Although wounded he 
 fought to the close of the day's conflict, and during the next 
 two days in the battles of Savage Station and of Fair Oaks. 
 His foot had now become swollen to such an extent that he 
 could not walk. Our forces were in full retreat, and Captain 
 Sloan was following after on one foot, as best he could, sup- 
 porting himself by a stout stick cut from the White Oak 
 swamp. The Confederates were in plain view, and he would 
 have been taken prisoner had not the Lieutenant-Colonel 
 noticed the peril he was in, and sent him his own horse, with 
 directions to mount and repair to the hospital. Here Cap- 
 tain Sloan's wound first received medical attention. He was 
 then furloughed, and, coming North, was appointed a recruit- 
 ing officer, and for several months acted in that capacity. 
 He afterward returned to his regiment, and was at the 
 storming of the heights of Fredericksburg, where he was 
 again wounded, this time by a minie ball in the leg. The 
 Thirty-first Kegiment was mustered out in May, 1863, and 
 Captain Sloan, for meritorious service on the field of battle, 
 received a commission as Major, bearing date and back pay 
 from the previous month of January. Major Sloan, having 
 reenlisted, left Elmira on June 1, 1864, with Company F, of 
 his regiment, the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth. After 
 his departure for the front a large number of the prominent 
 citizens of Yates County, wishing to express their high ap- 
 preciation of Major Sloan's military and soldierly qualities, 
 assembled on June 4th in front of the Benham House, in 
 Penn Yan, to witness the presentation of an elegant sword, 
 pistols, and belt, which had been contributed by them as a 
 testimonial of the esteem and respect which they held to- 
 wards the young and brave Major. Hon. Darius A. Ogden 
 made the presentation speech, and, in behalf of Major Sloan, 
 who was then absent on the field of duty, John D. Wolcott, 
 Esq., the District Attorney of Yates (Jounty, responded and 
 passed the beautiful implements of war into the hands of 
 John Sloan, Esq., who was to forward them to his son. 
 The following is the inscription on the sword : 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 109 
 
 Presented to Major John Barnet Sloan, June 4, 1864, as a testimonial of 
 their appreciation of services rendered in defence of our imperiled coun- 
 try, and his energy in raising the 179th Reg't, N. Y. S. V., by 
 
 Hon. D. A. Ogden, Col. H. C. Robbins, vS. C. Cleveland, 
 Wm. Watts, F. Holmes, C. Hewins, 
 
 J. S. JiLLETT, N. R. Long, L,. O. Dunning, 
 
 Wm. T. Remer, Geo. H. Lapham, F. E. Smith, 
 
 And Others. 
 
 Gen. A. F. WhiTaker, 
 
 Chainnan. 
 
 Major Sloan received the published accounts of this meet- 
 ing, but before he received the beautiful and appropriate 
 gifts themselves he fell in battle, June 17th, as before stated. 
 His remains vfer& brought to Penn Yan, and there interred 
 with due honors, the Rev. Frederick Starr, Jr., pastor of the 
 First Presbyterian Church, preaching the funeral discourse.* 
 Post No. 93 of the Grand Army of the Republic at Penn 
 Yan was named in honor of Major Sloan on its organization 
 in 1869. 
 
 Company G joined the command July 29, 1864. The ex- 
 plosion of the mine under a portion of the Confederate en- 
 trenchments occurred the next morning. An assault was 
 then made by the Ninth Corps, with the First Division tak- 
 ing the lead, and the One Hundred and Seventj^-uinth lost in 
 killed: Major Barton, Captain Allen T. Farwell of Company 
 F, Captain James H. Day of Company G, and in wounded, 
 
 *The funeral of Major Sloan was held on the 27th inst. in the First 
 Presbyterian Church, and was conducted by the following gentlemen, 
 who constituted the committee of arrangements and also acted as pall- 
 bearers: George R. Cornwell, Samuel Stewart Ellsworth, Henry C. 
 Hermans, George N. Hicks, Farley Holmes, George H. Lapham, James 
 D. Morgan, Jr., George F. Morgan, Ovid M. Reddy, Foster S. Roberts, 
 John Shearman, Alexander F. Slaughter, Warren J. Stanton, and Theo- 
 dore F. Wheeler. The funeral procession was arranged in fine order, and 
 led by marshals mounted (Captain E. E. Root, Chief Marshal ; Captains 
 C. F. Rudgers and M. H. Lawrence, Jr., Aids.) The Penn Yan Cornet 
 Band came next, playing mournful airs, and in charge of Frederick Poy- 
 neer. The hearse, containing the body, was gracefully shrouded with the 
 American flag, and was drawn b}- four elegant white horses, closely fol- 
 lowed by the war-horse of the deceased, fully caparisoned, and led by a 
 groom on foot. The military and fire companies, with their regalia, 
 added much to the occasion. The bells had hardly ceased tolling, when 
 intelligence came to Penn Yan of the fall of another brave officer, Captain 
 Morris Brown, Jr., of the 126th Regiment. 
 
110 THE MILITAKY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Lieutenant B. L. Sexton, of Company D. Fifty enlisted 
 men belonging to the regiment were killed, wounded, and 
 taken prisoners. The One Hundred and Seventy-ninth did 
 constant fighting in the trenches until the 19th of August. 
 During the whole time the men were exposed to the most 
 hair-breadth escapes and harrassing dangers, but the regi- 
 ment escaped with only a few wounded. On the above date 
 it moved around to the Weldon Railroad, which had been 
 taken by the Fifth Corps, and which would have been lost 
 again, had it not been for the timely support of the Ninth 
 Corps. The two corps, now united, attacked the Confeder- 
 ates, and forced them to retreat a considerable distance. 
 In this advance the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Regi- 
 ment had only three officers and fifty-six men fit for duty, 
 so greatly had both officers and men been exhausted by their 
 duties in the trenches. The loss in the above engagement 
 was small. On August 27th Albert A. Terrill, Captain of 
 Company A, was made Major in place of Major Barton, 
 killed. 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Doty, who had been wounded and ab- 
 sent in consequence for sixty days, rejoined his command 
 August 23d. Companies H, I, and K reached the regiment 
 at Park's Station in September. On the 30th of that month 
 the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth took part in the en- 
 gagement at Poplar Springs Clnirch, in which Lieutenant 
 James Booker, of Company- K, was mortally wounded. The 
 next engagement, in which the losses were very slight, oc- 
 curred October 27th at Hatcher's Run. After this the regi- 
 ment was generally in the trenches until April, 1865, occa- 
 sionally changing from Fort Welch to Fort Davis. The 
 One Hundred and Seventy-ninth Regiment, having noAv 
 reached its maximum number, C^olonel William M. Gregg, 
 about the 1st of October, 18G4, was mustered in and took 
 command. 
 
 During the first part of December, at the time of the cele- 
 brated raid of the Fifth C^orps to the Nottoway River, the 
 Second Division, to which the regiment was attached, was 
 sent out in pursuit, and to give support, if required. It per- 
 formed a forced march of twenty miles and back within 
 
THE MILITAEY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. Ill 
 
 twenty-four hours. Ou the night of April 1, 1865, the One 
 Hundred and Seventy-ninth Regiment alone, by a splendid 
 flank movement, assailed the whole picket line on its brigade 
 front, capturing about four times its number, with only 
 slight losses, and held its position until morning. It then 
 took position on the front line for a general assault on the 
 enemy's works, which were subsequently taken with an 
 overwhelming victory that completely broke up the Confed- 
 erate line of fortifications. Colonel Gregg, in this assault, 
 received a scalp wound from the fragment of a shell, which 
 rendered him senseless for some time and disabled him for 
 one week from commanding. The lamented Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Doty fell, shot through the lungs, and survived only 
 two daj'S. As an ofiicer, a courteous gentleman, a valiant 
 soldier, among the bravest of the brave, he had few equals. 
 Captains Albert A. Pierson, of Company D, and Giles H. 
 Holden, of Company F, and Lieutenants Samuel G. H. Mus- 
 grove, of Company E, and Stephen Compton, of Company 
 A, were wounded, CViptain Pierson severely, through the 
 left leg, and the rest slightly. 
 
 The One Hundred and Seventy-ninth participated in the 
 pursuit of Lee as far as Burkesville, and after his surrender 
 it returned to City Point, from which place it went by trans- 
 port to Alexandria, and near there encamped. It was mus- 
 tered out at its place of encampment on June 8, 1865, by 
 special order of the War Department. Going by way of 
 AVashingtou, the regiment proceeded to Elmira, which it 
 reached on Sunda}' morning, the 11th. It was met at the 
 depot by prominent citizens and the committee of arrange- 
 ments and escorted to the William Street Hospital building, 
 where a warm breakfast was served to the members of the 
 command. After breakfast the veterans marched down to- 
 ward the foot of Church Street, and encamped on a vacant 
 lot on the south side, near the stone-ware factory. Here 
 they remained iintil the 22d and 23d of June, when the}^ re- 
 ceived final pay and discharge. 
 
 Inscribed on the banners of the One Hundred and Seven tj'- 
 uinth are the names of noted battles in which the regiment 
 took a most noble part, namely : " Petersburg, June 17 and 
 
112 THE MILITAKY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 July 30, 18G4; Weldon Railroad; Popular Springs Church; 
 Hatcher's Run; and Petersburg, on April 1 and 2,1865." 
 On account of the great bravery evinced in capturing the 
 enemy's picket line, and in the final assault before Peters- 
 burg, brevets were afterward conferred on several commis- 
 sioned officers of the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth 
 among these being Colonel William M. Gregg, who was 
 raised to the rank of Brevet Brigadier-General, and Lieuten- 
 ant John T. Andrews, 2d, who was raised to the rank of 
 Brevet-Captain. 
 
 The following is the roster of the regimental and line offi- 
 cers at the time of the mustering-out of the One Hundred 
 and Seventy-ninth Regiment: Officers — Colonel, William M. 
 Gregg;!" Lieutenant-Colonel, Albert A. Terrill; Major Giles 
 H. Holden ;i" Adjutant, George W. Cook; Quartermaster, 
 Nathaniel P. T. Finch; Surgeon, Joseph W. Robinson; As- 
 sistant-Surgeon, Phineas S. Rose; Chaplain, Edwin A. Taft. 
 
 Line Officers. — Company A — Captain, George D. Carpen- 
 ter; First Lieutentant, James A. Farr; Second Lieutenant, 
 Stephen Compton. Company B — Captain, Martin V. Doty ; 
 First Lieutenant, Edward Lounsbury. Company C — Cap- 
 tain, Levi Force; Second Lieutenant, Thomas C. Smith. 
 Company D — Captain, Albert A. Pierson ; First Lieutenant, 
 John T. Andrews, 2d; Second Lieutenant, Henry Mapes. 
 Company E — Captain, Samuel G. H. Musgrove ; First Lieu- 
 tenant, Charles Carr; Second Lieutenant, James Prevost. 
 Company F — Captain, James Griswold; First Lieutenant, 
 David A. Bradley; Second Lieutenant, Charles F. Hager. 
 Company G — Captain, Henry J. Messing; Second Lieuten- 
 ant, James Lewis. Company H — First Lieutenant, Fitz E. 
 Culver; Second Lieutenant, Henry Spreese. Companj- I— 
 Captain, Edwin C. Bowen; First Lieutenant, Charles Black- 
 mar; Second Lieutenant, Oscar Jennings. Company K — 
 Captain, Moses M. VanBenscotten ; First Lieutenant, Rob- 
 ert Hooper; Second Lieutenant, William C. Foster. 
 
 Muster-in roll of Company F, of the One Hundred and 
 Seventy-ninth Regiment : 
 
 Company F. — Allen T. Farwell,* Captain ; David A. Brad- 
 
 * Killed t Wounded. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 113 
 
 ley, First Lieutenant ; Giles H. Hoklen,t Second Lieuten- 
 ant ; William L. Norton, t Orderly Sergeant ; John W. 
 Durham, t Newton B. Spencer, Edward S. Dunn,t Ser- 
 geants ; William B. Larzelere, John H. Carley,* George W. 
 Heck, Albert Bennett,!" Norton B. Sage, Carmi Loveless, 
 Corporals; Privates, James H. Brown,* Eleazer Baldwin, 
 Jr., Amos J. Bonney,§ Daniel R. Bacon,t Josiah C. 
 Baker,t Charles Baker, John Banks, Orlando V. Crans, 
 William T. Clark,:!; Julius F. Cotton, Francis M. Campfield, 
 Festus Demorest, Tuthill Dense, James Decker,t Thomas 
 Dannaby, John Day, Karl Frederick, Richard Fitzgerald, 
 Daniel Guinea, Abram O. Gray, George W. Green, t An- 
 drew Hurd, Samuel B. Hyatt, Martin Hope, John Hall, 
 Frederick Harris, James A. James,§ David Kennedy, John 
 Kelly, Edwin Knapp, John Kennedy, Lewis R. Little, Wil- 
 liam Lounsbury, Charles Lounsbury, James B. Luce, An- 
 drew McConnell, Michael McCarty, John Martin, John 
 McCann, Barnum J. Northrup,* Ezra M. Northrup, Charles 
 C. Owen,t John Oakley, John Post, John Phalen, John Pat- 
 terson, John B. Patrick, Ransom O. Remer, Daniel P. Rig- 
 by, Charles E. Releyea, George M. Releyea, John Riley, 
 Timothy Shaw% Henry C. Schofield, David Shearman, Aaron 
 R. Shearman,* William Stephens, Harrison Sprague, Pat- 
 rick Stapleton, Wilbert Simmons, Michael Shanahan, James 
 Story, Robert Thompson, George Wilson, Robert P. Walker, 
 Daniel Weldon, George Williams, Abel W^ebb, Martin Wil- 
 kin, George White," Frederick F, W^indnagle,* George W. 
 West. 
 
 Killed. tWouudcd. t Died. § Deserted. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 The One Hundred and Eighty-eighth and One Hundred and Ninety- 
 fourth Regiments Infantry — Grand Review at Washington at the end 
 of the War. 
 
 THE ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT. 
 
 THE One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Kegiment of In- 
 fantry commanded at first by Colonel James R. Cham- 
 berlain, was organized at Rochester in the autumn of 1864. 
 Company C, of this regiment, recruited principally in Yates 
 County, was, on the 7th of October, mustered into the ser- 
 vice of the United States for one year. Recruits from this 
 county were also in Companies B, D, E, F, G, and H. The 
 regiment on the 13th left the j^lace of rendezvous for the 
 front and, under command at that time of Major Christopher 
 C. Davison, became part of the Second Brigade of the First 
 Division of the Fifth Corps, commanded by General Warren. 
 The One Hundred and Eighty-eighth rendered valuable 
 service during the latter part of General Grant's Virginia 
 Campaign, The first engagement in which the regiment 
 took part was at Hatcher's Run (Oct. 27, 1864). It then accom- 
 panied the expedition which was sent out to destroy the 
 Weldon Railroad. The expedition moved down the railroad 
 as far as the Meherrin, the Confederates that were encount- 
 ered on the way being driven to Hicksford near the southern 
 boundary of Virginia, while the road was effectually de- 
 stroyed to that point some twenty miles (Dec. 7th to 15th). 
 Hicksford had been fortified, and was strongly held by the 
 enemy, while our troops, having started with but four days' 
 rations, were constrained to hasten their return. No consid- 
 erable loss was suffered, nor (otherwise than in destroying 
 the railroad) inflicted.* On the 6th of February. 1865, the 
 One Hundred and Eighty-eighth participated in a second 
 engagement at Hatcher's Run, which resulted in the perma- 
 nent extension of the Union left to this position. 
 
 *"The American Conflict," Vol. 2, 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 115 
 
 The grand general advance of the army on the enemy's 
 works in front of Petersburg began March 2Gth. On that 
 day the regiment distinguished itself in the attack on Fort 
 Meigs, and on the 29th in the charge made on the " sawdust 
 fort "^ on the Lewis farm. The next day Warren's Corps 
 was sharply assailed on the Boynton Plank Road, and the 
 One Hundred and Eighty-eighth here nobly supported a 
 battery against a charge of the Confederates, and on the 
 30th aided in completely repulsing the enemy in an engage- 
 ment at Gravelly Run. In the mean time Sheridan had 
 pushed forward a part of his cavalry to Five Forks, and 
 Warren was ordered by Grant to the support of Sheridan, 
 and to act under his orders. 
 
 The battle of Five Forks, on the 1st and 2d of April, re- 
 sulted in a complete and decisive victory which the One 
 Hundred and Eighty-eighth Regiment aided grandly in 
 achieving. For some unexplained cause, right in the mo- 
 ment of victory, while AVarren was in the front with his 
 shouting troops, Sheridan removed him from the command 
 of the corps and put Griffin in his placet The entire right 
 of the Confederate position was broken up, and the enemy 
 driven in full retreat toward Dansville. A vigorous pursuit 
 was kept up by the Union Army, and at Deep Creek a con- 
 siderable force of infantry was encountered (April 3d), and 
 ultimately driven by the Fifth Corps. On the morning 
 of the 7th Grant dispatched a note to Lee, asking for the 
 surrender of that part of the Confederate States Army known 
 as the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee replied by asking 
 what terms Grant had to offer on condition of its surrender. 
 After some further correspondence the two great command- 
 ers met in the dwelling of W. McLean, at Appomattox Court 
 House where the arrangements for the surrender of the 
 Confederate Army were completed. t 
 
 *The " sawdust fort " was so called from having been erected ou the 
 site of a sawmill, where a considerable amount of sawdust yet remained. 
 
 t Headley's History of the Great Rebellion. Vol. 2. 
 
 X It is an interesting circumstance that the articles of surrender were 
 drawn up by a Seneca Indian, General Ely S. Parker, who was a lineal 
 descendant of Red Jacket. A Yates County Soldier formed one of the 
 troop that captured Jefferson Davis in Georgia four weeks later. This 
 soldier was Captain Henry Albert Potter, of the 4th Michigan Cavalry. 
 
116 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 After the surrender of Lee the One Hundred and Eighty- 
 eighth Regiment marched to Washington and was mustered 
 out at its place of encampment near that city, July 1st, 1865. 
 The field officers of the regiment at the time of the muster- 
 out were as follows: Colonel, John E. McMahon; Lieuten- 
 ant Colonel, Isaac Doolittle; Major, Christopher C. Davison; 
 Surgeon, Sprague Paine; First Assistant Surgeon, S. D. 
 Spencer; Second Assistant Surgeon, Charles E. Hill; Chap- 
 lain, Wayne Spicer ; Adjutant, Orville Curtis; Quartermas- 
 ter, D. C. Fletcher; Hospital Steward, John E. Wilson. 
 
 Muster-in roll of Company C, with Yates County recruits 
 in Companies B, D, E, F, G, and H : 
 
 Company B. — Edward F. Jones, First Lieutenant ; Pri- 
 vates, Judson C. Albright,! Thomas V. BroAvn, Evelyn 
 Crego, Charles Donelly, Wellington Graham, Charles W. 
 Heverly, Joseph R. Potter, Clark Reynolds, Serellow 
 Travis, Samuel Van Dyke, William Walker. 
 
 Company C. — Harvey G. Denniston, Captain; Dennis W. 
 Crowley, First Lieutenant; Joseph H. Wernett, Second 
 Lieutenant ; Almond C. Walters, Jesse L. Wheeler, Edward 
 F. Porter, John M. Miller, A. Jackson Terry,t Sergeants; 
 George H. Waldo, Clark B. Wheeler, Charles F. Grenall, 
 George O. Parker, Charles Beeman, Adelbert Genung, 
 Ethan A. Gustin, William P. Lane, Corporals; Privates, 
 Charles Alexander, George N. Ball,* Byron Brockway, Ed- 
 win Brown,t William Burke, Henry R. Bardeen, Rice Bar- 
 ker, John S. Bailey, Chauncey Bacon, John M. Bennett, 
 Burton Barnes, Thomas Boyington,t Amos Cook,* Charles 
 D. Campbell, Albert Comstock, Calvin Comstock, David 
 Camfield, Johnson Coon,t Aaron J. Denniston, Hiram 
 Ellis,!- John Everett, Danford Ellsworth,t Theodore D. 
 Gillett, Henry C. Green, Seth P. Gustin, Nelson Hunt,t 
 Byron Hayes, Hiram Howland, Matthew Kennedy, David 
 Kennedy, William S. Kellogg, John C. Lewis, Orrin J. 
 Lewis, Charles T. Lewis, William G. Tears,^ Daniel Lenox, 
 Edward P. Lenox, Philip Lawley, John Leftler, Chappel 
 Lito,* Smith McLoud, William Mehan,* (promoted to Ser- 
 geant-Major, and afterward to Second Lieutenant), Delos 
 
 * Killed, tWouuded. |Died. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 117 
 
 Neff, Eli S. Osborne.t George O. Parker, Theodore Put- 
 nam, William G. Price, Timothy Parsons, David J. Par- 
 sons, David W. Parker, Michael Scott, Milton Stryker, 
 Peter J. Straut,t David Q. Stevens, Ira Smith, + Jacob D. 
 Smith, Benjamin Stowe,* Niram B. Squires, Horace Stod- 
 dard, Alonzo Sluyter, Ezra Strope, Adam Shill, Civilian 
 Travis, Zephaniah Travis, Francis F. Wales, Edmund F. 
 Waldo, John J. AVatkins, Maurice Wilcox, Chauncey W. 
 AVheeler. 
 
 Company D. — Privates, John W. Brayman, Robert B. 
 Brayman, William Brown, Samuel C. Kerrick. 
 
 Company E. — Privates, Zenas G. Bullock, Isaac C. Bailey, 
 Newton Colegrove, Ebenezer B. Clark, Andrew A. Granger, 
 William F. Harkness, Henry Pitt, Charles H, Spencer. 
 
 Company F. — Privates Albert Van Dusen, Norman 
 Wyant. 
 
 Company G. — Privates, James Burley, Percival A. Con- 
 klin, Cornelius Demorest, Charles S. Dailey, Alexander 
 Eastman, William W. French, Mark Hazen, Decatur 
 Hedges, William W. Hoyt, William F. Kelsey, Uzal Mar- 
 latt, Philip McGinnis, David S. Miller, Philip Packhard, 
 Reuben Rockwell, Daniel Rockwell, John H. Simmons, 
 James Soles, John T. Smith, Ira M. Smith, Robert Shedden, 
 Lather Smith, Joseph Scott, Elijah Scott, John Scott, Ezra 
 Tyler, Ozro Thomas Towner, William Wolverton, George 
 Wooden, Horace H. Watrous. 
 
 Company H. — John Eckler, private. 
 
 Company K. — Danford Ellsworth, private. 
 
 THE ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-FOURTH REGIMENT, 
 
 Colonel Joseph W. Corning (formerly of the Thirty-third 
 New York Volunteers) received authority, Jan. '27, 1865, to 
 recruit a regiment of infantry, to be known as the One Hun- 
 dred and Ninety-fourth New York Volunteers. In this reg- 
 iment Company D, otherwise known as the Ninth Indepen- 
 dent Company, was raised in Yates County, and was mus- 
 tered at Elmira into the United States service for two years, 
 April 16, 1865. By reason of the cessation of hostilities the 
 One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Regiment was not called 
 
 * Killed, t Wounded. tDied. 
 
118 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 into active service, and the several companies composing 
 the command were mustered out and honorably discharged 
 at Elmira May 3 and 10, 1865. Seven enlisted men belong- 
 ing to the regiment died during its stay in that city. 
 
 Muster-in roll of Company D, of the One Hundred and 
 Ninety-fourth Regiment : 
 
 Richard B. Mahar, Captain ; Charles Stark, First Lieu- 
 tenant; Theodore G. Ross, Second Lieutenant; Delos C. 
 Hubbard, Orderly Sergeant; Privates, Henry J. Ackley, 
 Henry M. Asliby, George W.Austin, Gforge S. Ackley, James 
 A. Briggs, Hugh Bulger, George H. Beamish, Charles Britton, 
 John F. Beebe, Coradon H. Beebe, Abram Brown, Eli Barrett, 
 John W. Booth, John Baker, Wolcott Cole, Lewis Clark, 
 Lester Crandall, Edward Courtney, Edwin L. Corey, Thomas 
 Creed, Jerome H. Carey, Edgar D. Carey, George A. Dur- 
 ham, Dwight W. Dickinson, George Davis, Charles A. 
 Darrow, Roderick Dingham, Timothy Driscoll, Leonard E. 
 Durfur, Lucas Enos, David H. Fitzwater, Elijah Fowler, 
 Patrick Gill, Mordecai Goodwin, Moses R. Gage, William 
 A. Gray, Mortimer Hotchkiss, Daniel Houghtailiug, Lewis 
 Halstead, Jabez F. Hobart, Joseph Ham, Thomas Harlan, 
 Thomas Hackett, John Homer, WiUiam H. Hand, George 
 Hennery, John Hall, James Houghtailiug, Henry Jero, 
 Lyman P. Johnson, Frank M. Lacy, Josiali B. Lyon, John 
 Lenhart, Michael McAlpine, William Mitchell, John H. 
 Parsons, Orrin W. Place, Whitfield H. Peck, Wallace Palm- 
 ateer, John H. Ryall, John R. Soutlierby, Joseph Steele, 
 James Steele, Albert W. Small, Philip Slater, Richard Sutfin, 
 Edward W. Salsbury, Simeon Spink, Thomas Tunney, John 
 Theis, Henry Tomyon, Smith Tupper, David O. Tears, 
 Charles G. Watkins, Cornelius Webber, John P. Williams, 
 Charles Wright, Bertram A. Whitmore, Samuel C. Wales. 
 
 Company B. — George W. Randall, private. 
 
 Company C. — George B. Barden, Corporal. 
 
 Company E. — Samuel C. Moxcey, Corporal; Cornelius 
 Plaisted, private. 
 
 THE GRAND REVIEW. 
 
 As a fitting close to this long and terrible struggle which 
 the country had passed through, a grand review of the two 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 119 
 
 armies of Grant and Sherman took place in the National 
 Ca]iital on the 23d and 24th of May, in the presence of the 
 President and his Cabinet and foreign ministers. New York 
 has the honor of having furnished more troops for the war 
 than any other State, and her sons were well represented in 
 this magnificent parade. Among these were a large number 
 from Yates County, who had served in different organizations 
 in both armies, and in the former (which should be properly 
 called the ever-renowned Army of the Potomac) were 
 notably those belonging to the One Hundred and Twenty- 
 sixth,* the One Hundred and Seventy-ninth, the One Hun- 
 dred and Eighty-eighth, and to other regiments of infantry, 
 besides artillery and cavalry. As the bronzed and proud 
 veterans marched up Pennsylvania Avenue, the heavens re- 
 sounded with the acclamations of the multitude, and the air 
 was filled with the bouquets of flowers that were rained on 
 the noble leaders. The Duke of Wellington said, when 
 50,000 troops were reviewed in the Champs Elysees, after 
 the occupation of Paris by the Allies, that it was " a sight 
 but once seen in a life time," but here nearly two hundred 
 thousand marched, in an apparently endless stream, past 
 the Presidential mansion, not conscripts forced into the 
 ranks, but citizens who had voluntarily taken up arms to 
 defend not a monarch's rights, but their own. ' 
 
 Yet, sublime as was this spectacle, it sank into insignifi- 
 cance before the grandeur of the one presented a few days 
 after, when this army, strong enough to conquer a hemis- 
 phere, melted suddenly away into the mass of the people 
 and was seen no more. Its deeds of renown had filled the 
 civilized world, and European statesmen looked on and 
 wondered what disposition could be made of it, and where 
 it would choose to go, or what it would do. It was one of 
 the grandest armies that ever bore on its bayonet points the 
 destinies of a king or a nation — a consolidation and embod- 
 iment of power seldom witnessed ; and yet, while the gaze 
 of the world was fixed upon it, it disappeared like a vision, 
 and when one looked for it he saw only peaceful citizens 
 
 *The 126th Regiment, when it participated in the Grand Review, had 
 but 67 men in its ranks. The 50th Engineers were given, as a special 
 place of honor, the right of the line. 
 
120 THE MILITARY HISTURY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 engaged in their usual occupations. The Major-Geueral, 
 whose martial achievements had been repeated in almost 
 every language under the sun, was seen among his papers 
 in his old law office, which he had left at the call of his 
 country ; the brave Colonel, who had led many a gallant 
 charge, was in his counting house, acting as though he had 
 been absent only a few days on business, while the veterans 
 of the rank and file, whose battle shout had rung over 
 scores of bloody fields, could only be found by name, as one 
 bent over his saw and plane, and another swung his 
 scythe in the harvest field or plied his humble toil along the 
 streets. It was a marvellous sight — the grandest the world 
 ever saw. It had been the people's war — the people had 
 carried it on, and having finished their own work, quietly 
 laid aside the instruments with which they had accom- 
 plished it and again took up those of peaceful industry. 
 Never did a government on earth exhibit such stability and 
 assert its superiority over all other forms as did this repub- 
 lican government of ours in the way its armies disappeared 
 when the struggle was over.* 
 
 Reuben E. Fenton, Governor of New York, issued a con- 
 gratulatory address to the returned veterans of his State on 
 the 5th of June. The sentiments therein contained found 
 an echo in the heart of every patriotic citizen. The people 
 of Yates County, especially, were in unison with Governor 
 Fenton in affectionate regard for their kinsmen who had 
 " borne the battle," and their real feelings can be best ex- 
 pressed in the words of the closing paragraph of the Gover- 
 nor's address : " We will treasure your legends, your brave 
 exploits, and the glorified memory of your dead comrades in 
 records more impressive than the monuments of the past, 
 and enduring as the liberties you have secured. The people 
 will regard, with jealous pride, your welfare and honor, not 
 forgetting the widow, the fatherless, and those who were de- 
 pendent upon the fallen hero. The fame and glory you 
 have won for the State and Nation shall be transmitted to 
 our children as a most precious legacy, lovingly to be 
 cherished and reverently to be preserved." 
 
 * Headley's History of the Great Rebellion, Vol. 2. 
 
CHAPTER XIL 
 
 Citizens of Yates County iu Other Commands — Colored Soldiers — The 
 Confederate Service — The United States Navy. 
 
 CITIZENS OF YATES COUNTY IN OTHER COMMANDS. 
 
 IN writing the Military History of Yates County thus far, 
 mention has been made of those of our soldiers who served 
 in the various regiments in which this county was to any 
 extent represented. There were, however, soldiers in other 
 commands, who, iu a certain sense, belong to our county, 
 and whose names might be given.* To give a complete list 
 would not be possible, inasmuch as some of these were born 
 in Yates County, and enlisted from another county or from 
 a distant State, and others now residing within our county's 
 borders have become residents since the close of the war. 
 The names of certain ones belonging to this class, which 
 have come to the knowledge of the writer, are given as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 Valentine Allen, private, Co. E, 11th Pa. Cav.; Albert Am- 
 idon, private, Co. G, 8th N. Y. Inf.; Wesley P. Andrews, 
 Captain, Co. I, 42d 111. Inf.; Charles P. Babcock, Colonel, 
 — Mich. Cav.; Sherwood S. Ball, musician, 19th N. Y. V.; 
 William Bellis, Sergeant, Co. B, 5th Mich. Inf., and Cap- 
 
 *In connection with this chapter may be mentioned certain persons by 
 whom, in a military sense, Yates County has been represented. The 
 West Point cadets from our county have been : Walter Stevens, who 
 graduated in 1845. He served in after years in the Confederate army and 
 in Mexico, and is probably not now living. Henry C. Danes, who grad- 
 uated in 1867, and is now stationed at Key West Barracks, Key West, Fla., 
 with the rank of Captain in the 3d U. S. Artillery, commanding Battery 
 I. Ralph W. Hoyt, who graduated in 1872, and is now stationed at Fort 
 Apache, Ariz., with the rank of Captain of Co. F, nth Reg't, U. S. In- 
 fantry. John Conklin, Jr., who graduated in 1884, and is now stationed 
 at Fort Riley, Kan., with the rank of First L,ieutenant in the 2d U. S. 
 Artillery. Samuel Stewart Ellsworth, Esq., of Penn Yan, served in 1875 
 and 1876 as Quartermaster General of the State of New York on the staff 
 of Governor Samuel J. Tilden, from which position he acquired the title 
 of General, by which he was commonly known. 
 
122 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 tain, Co. B, 30th Mich. Inf.: William D. Benedict, private, 
 Co. D, 15th N. y. Cav.; David S. Blauvelt, Corporal, Co. E, 
 86th N. Y. Inf. (Steuben Rangers) ; Sweet Brayton, Cor- 
 poral, Co. K, 107th N. Y. Inf.; Samuel B. Briggs, farrier, 2d 
 Mich. Cav.; Robert P. Bush, Captain, Co. E, 185th N. Y. Inf., 
 Major, 185th Inf.; Elhott N. Bush," Captain, Co. G, 95th 
 111. Inf.; Henry M. Bush, Lieutenant, Co. G, 95th 111. Inf.; 
 Ira Chubb, private, Co. D, 161st N. Y. Inf.; Edwin E. Cleve- 
 land, private, Co. K, 136th N. Y. Inf.; George C. Coleman,^' 
 private, Co. A, 161st N. Y. Inf.; Elliott Cornelius, private, 
 Co. M, 4th Pro. Cav.; Andrew J. Criss, private, Co. B, 122d 
 N. Y. Inf.; Bradford Cronk, private, Co. H, 86th N. Y. Inf.; 
 Charles B. Curtis, Captain, Co. A, 57th N. Y. Inf.; Stephen 
 B. D Linton, private, Co. D, 1st Pa. Rifles; Joseph Eveland, 
 private, Co. B, Mist N. Y. Inf.; Benjamin Fullagar, private, 
 Co. A, 3d Wis. Cav., and Captain, Co. K, 3d Wis. Cav.; 
 Robert H.Graham, Major, 8th Kansas Inf.; George M. Gris- 
 wold, private, Co. G, 10th N. Y. Cav.; Charles O. Harring- 
 ton, color-bearer, 3th Wis. Inf.; John Q. Heck, Corporal, 
 Co. C, 166th Ohio National Guard ; Henry Augustus Hicks, 
 Lieutenant, 9th Wis. Battery; Foster A. Hixson, paymaster 
 (with the rank of Major) ; Andrew B. Horton, private, Co. C, 
 22d Mich. Vols.; William W. Hull, private, Co. D, 120th N. 
 Y. v.; AVilliam Hunter,* private, Co. G, 10th N. Y. Cav.; 
 Daniel B. Hurley, Corporal, Co. A, 111st N. Y. Inf.; Robert 
 G. Ingersoll, Colonel, 11th 111. Cav.; Edward Kendall, pri- 
 vate, Co. H, 107th N. Y. Inf., and Sergeant-Major, 107th N. 
 Y. Inf.; Coates Kinney, Paymaster (with the rank of Major); 
 William Kreutzer, Colonel, 98th N. Y. Inf.: George Lee, 
 Colonel, — Mich. Inf., and Assistant Adjutant-General on 
 the staff of General Sheridan ; A. Ohver Lewis,* Sergeant- 
 Major, 15th Mich. Inf.; Wilson A. Lewis,t private, Co. B, 
 20th Mich. Inf.; Eli Long, Colonel, 4th Ohio Cav., and Brig- 
 adier-General U. S. Army (retired list) ; John S. McEarlane, 
 Sergeant, Co. C, 144th N. Y. Inf.; Robert McGilliard, pri- 
 vate, Co. A, 124th 111. Vols.; Samuel H. Myers, private, Co. 
 A, 19th 111. Inf.; Hezekiah Newland, private, Co. H, 111th 
 N. Y. Inf., and private, Co. E, 4th N. Y. Heavy Artillery; 
 
 * Killed, t Died. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 123 
 
 John M. Oliver, Lieutenant, Co. A, 4th Mich. Inf., Captain 
 Co. A, 4th Mich. Inf., Colonel, 15th Mich. Inf., Brigadier- 
 General, 3d Brigade, '2d Divison, 15th Army Corps, Major 
 General U. S. Army; George T. Orr, private, Co. G, 54th N. 
 Y. Inf.; Walter L. Orr, private, Co. B, 128th N. Y. Inf.; 
 Erastus N. Owen, Adjutant, 20tli Ohio, and Colonel, 5th U. 
 S. Colored Artillery (Heavy); Henry Albert Potter, Captain, 
 Co. A, 4th Mich. Cav., Brevet-Major, 4th Mich. Cav.; Abel 
 Ilarick, private, Co. A, 161st N. Y. Inf.; Rila Razey, pri- 
 vate, Co. G, 189th N. Y. Inf.; Jere 8. Reed, private, Co. C, 
 105th N. Y. Inf., and Lieutenant, Co. A, 94th N. Y. Inf.; 
 John Sanderson, private, Co. F, 161st N. Y. Inf., and Ser- 
 geant-Major, 161st N. Y. Inf.; Eeuben A. Scofield, private, 
 Co. C, 21st N. Y. Inf., and First Lieutenant, Co. H, 4th 
 U. S. Colored Troops, and Brevet Major U. S. Vols.; 
 Martin V. Scutt, private, Co. H, 68th N. Y. Inf., and 
 private, Co. F, 161st N. Y. Inf.; J. Dorman Steele, Cap- 
 tain, Co. K, 81st N. Y. Inf.; George B. Stewart, Sergeant, 
 Co. F, 205th Pa. Vols.; Harlan P. Sturdevant, private, Co. 
 E, 101st N. Y. Inf., and private, Co. K, 40th N. Y. Inf.; 
 George W. Thornton, private, Co. B, 64th N. Y. Inf.; George 
 Titus, Lieutenant, Co. K, 5th Conn. Vols.; Leroy Tobey, pri- 
 vate, Co. G, 26th N. Y. Inf.; Homer M. Townseud, musician, 
 89th N. Y. Inf.; George B. Tyler,* Lieutenant, 3d Mich. 
 Battery; Joseph LeVanBender, Lieutenant, Co. B, 52d Pa. 
 Vols., and Lieutenant, Co. D, 168th Pa. Vols.; Jesse R. 
 Welch, private, Co. D, 24 Mich. Vols.; Samuel M. Whitbeck, 
 private, Co. H, 18th N. Y. Vols., and private, Co. M, 6th N. 
 Y. Cav., Sergeant, 2d Pro. Reg't,N. Y. Mounted Rifles; Wil- 
 Ham H. Whitfield, private, Co. G, 149th N. Y. Inf.; J. Au- 
 gustus Winans,t private, Co. A, 18th Wis. Inf.; Erastus B. 
 Wolcott, Surgeon-General, State of Wisconsin. 
 
 COLORED SOLDIERS. 
 
 Among the residents of Yates County, who served in the 
 war, were the following colored soldiers : 
 
 Company A, 26tli New York Infantry. — Privates, Sidney 
 Babcock, Stephen John Beames, John Butler, William John- 
 son, Amos Riggs, George Steadman, Samuel Steadman. 
 
 * Killed, t Died. 
 
124 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Henry Hamilton, private, Company E, 54th Massachusetts 
 Infantry; Nelson Jones, private, Company K, 20th New 
 York Infantry; WilHam Maxfielcl, private. Company I, 6th 
 United States Colored Troops ; Frank Suzey, private, Com- 
 pany K, 14th Rhode Island Infantry; Thomas Jefferson 
 Van Houter, private. Company E, 14th Rhode Island Infan- 
 try ; Henry Hale, wagoner. 
 
 THE CONFEDERATE SERVICE. 
 
 Several persons who were born in Yates County, and 
 others who became residents since the war, were, either by 
 inclination or force of circumstances, in the Confederate 
 service. Those of our citizens, who were on the Confederate 
 side, were as follows : 
 
 David E. Dewey, (conscripted into the Confederate ser- 
 vice, but afterwards served in the Union army.) James A. 
 Henderson, (performed railroad service under military 
 authority.) Stanley M. Warner Nevins, (taken prisoner at 
 Fort Donelson, while serving in the Confederate army.) 
 Hopestill R. Phillips, Lieutenant, Company K, Tenth Vir- 
 ginia Cavalry, (captured at Gettysburg by the Union forces, 
 and held on Johnson's Island till the close of the war.) 
 Walter Stevens (educated at West Point, served in the Con- 
 federate army through the war, and, after the war, served for 
 a time in Mexico on the staff of the Emperor Maximilian.) 
 Walter Wolcott, Jr., Lieutenant, Company A, Vicksburg 
 Volunteer Southrons, (killed at the battle of Gettysburg, 
 July 2, 1863.*) 
 
 THE UNITED STATES NAVY. 
 
 Yates Count3% though remote from the seaboard, was rep- 
 resented to some extent in the United States Navy. The 
 
 * Walter Wolcott, Jr., the third son of Dr. Wolcott, was born in Starkey 
 in 1827. He was educated at the common schools and at Starkey Semin- 
 ary, and was afterwards a book-keeper in Rochester, N. Y., and St. 
 Louis, Mo., and a merchant at Rodney and at Vicksburg, Miss. At the 
 outbreak of the war he enlisted in the rebel army, and held the rank cf 
 Lieutenant in the "Vicksburg Volunteer Southrons." In Longstreet's 
 terrible charge at Gettysburg he was slain. All accounts describe him as 
 a brave man, leading his men with undaunted courage on that bloody 
 field. He was remarkable as a mathematical student, and as an accom- 
 plished violin player. — Cleveland's History of Yates County, Vol. 2. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 125 
 
 following persons, belonging to this county, served in the 
 navy during the late war : Charles Asa Babcock, Lieutenant, 
 afterward promoted to Captain and then to Commander of 
 the U. S. Ironclad Canonicus ; Eussell H. Carr, U. S. Steam- 
 ship Connecticut; Thomas M. Dunham, U. S. S. North Car- 
 olina; Delos C. Hubbard, paymaster steward, U. 8. S. 
 Savannah; George Madden, marine service; Martin Mann, 
 North Atlantic Squadron; Henry H. Mclntyre, U. S. S, 
 Salona, Southern Blockade Squadron ; Albert R. Rice, Sur- 
 geon ; D. Clinton Robinson, IT. S. Steamship Rhode Island, 
 also in the South Atlantic Squadron ; Alvin R. Stone, U. S. 
 S. Gertrude, West Gulf Squadron. 
 
 Since the war Yates County has been represented in the 
 Navy as follows : Jerome B. House, who entered the Naval 
 Academy at Annapolis, Md., in 1864. Graduated in 1868. 
 Promoted to the rank of Ensign in 1869. Promoted to the 
 rank of Master in 1870. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 
 in 1873. Died January 9, 1881. George K. Powell, who 
 was attached to the U. S. War Steamer Wateree, and was at 
 the earthquake at Arica, Peru, in 1868. Frank H. Schofield, 
 who entered the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., in 1886. 
 Graduated in 1891. Now attached to the U. S. Man-of-war 
 Marblehead, of the White Squadron. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Posts of the Grand Army of the Republic in Yates County— J. Barnet 
 Sloan Post, No. 93, at Penn Yan — Decoration Day Observances at Penn 
 Yan in 1869 and 1870 — Memorial Volume Presentation — William H. 
 Long Post, No. 486, at Penn Yan — Edwin and Foster P. Cook Post, 
 No. 71, at Dundee— Hays Post, No. 115, at Potter — Scott Post, No. 319, 
 at Rushville— The Woman's Relief Corps— The Ladies of the Grand 
 Army of the Republic. 
 
 SLOAN POST AT PENN YAN. 
 
 ON the evening of April 22, 18fi9, Commander G. Fred 
 Potter, of Post Baldwin, No. 6, of Elmira, having been 
 specially detailed from Headquarters, Grand Army of the Re- 
 public, Department of New York, reported for duty at Penn 
 Yan, with his assistants. Comrades D. G. Beck with and W. 
 H. Davis, of the same post, and proceeded to organize Post 
 No. 93 at this place. The following constituted the charter 
 members: Martin S. Hicks, Ab. W. Shearman, Jere S. 
 Reed, George Titus, S. Harvey Ackley, Hanford Struble, 
 Truman N. Burrill, J. Loren Bobbins, Cassius N. McFarren, 
 and Josiah C. Baker. The first officers were as follows: 
 Martin S. Hicks, Commander; Ab. W. Shearman, Senior 
 Vice Commander ; Jere S. Reed, Junior Vice Commander ; 
 Charles B. Turner, Adjutant; Hanford Struble, Chaplain ; 
 S. Harvey Ackley, Quartermaster; Truman N. Burrill, Offi- 
 cer of the Day; J. Loren Bobbins, Officer of the Guard. 
 At the time of organization. Post No. 93 was named in honor 
 of Major J. Barnet Sloan, of the One Hundred and Seventy- 
 ninth Regiment of New York Volunteers, who was mortally 
 wounded in front of Petersburg, June 17, 1864. 
 
 Decoration Day was first observed in Penn Yan on the 
 29th of May of the same year. At three o'clock in the after- 
 noon of that day, the people having assembled in the Penn 
 Yan Cemetery, a procession was formed at the cemetery 
 entrance, and conducted by Major Jobn Cooley, as Marshal, 
 and Majors Truman N. Burrill and George AV. Waddell and 
 Captains George Brennan and Morris F. Sheppard, as As- 
 sistants. The procession was formed in the following order : 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 127 
 
 Marshal and Aids. 
 Frauk J. GifFord's Band of Music. 
 The Clergy. 
 Soldiers' Committee,* Representing Ten Different Regiments. 
 Decorating Committee of Twelve Young Ladies, Preceded by Major Han- 
 ford Struble, as President of the Day, and by the Orator and 
 Poet of the Occasion. 
 Ladies' Committee of Arrangements. f 
 Penn Yan Amateur Glee Club. 
 Soldiers of the Late War. 
 Citizens Generally. 
 The procession passed over the grounds, visiting each sol- 
 dier's grave, which was decorated with flowers, as the name, 
 rank, and regiment of the deceased soldier was announced 
 by the President of the Day. When this memorial service 
 was concluded the exercises began by a prayer by the Eev. 
 N. Judson Clark, followed by singing by the Amateur Glee 
 Club of the "Decoration Hymn." An introductory address 
 was then delivered by Major Hanford Struble, after which 
 came the regular address by Major Bobert P. Bush. A 
 Memorial Poem,t which was prepared by the reader for the 
 
 *The Soldiers' Committee on this first Decoration Day ceremony com- 
 prised the following veterans: John T. Andrews, 2d, David A. Bradley, 
 George Brennan, Truman N. Burrill, Robert P. Bush, John Cooley, Mar- 
 tin S. Hicks, H. Augustus Hicks, Charles Kelly, Richard B. Mahar, J. 
 Loren Robbins, Morris F. Sheppard, Newton B. Spencer, Hanford Stru- 
 ble, George W. Waddel!. 
 
 jThe Ladies' Committee of Arrangements that year were as follows : 
 Mrs. Janet Lee Fish, Mrs. Jane O. Lewis, Mrs. Elizabeth A. Long, Mrs. 
 Judith Ogden, and Mrs. Caroline M. Stark. 
 
 X The last two verses of the Memorial Poem read on this occasion are 
 here re-produced : 
 
 All of our patriotic dead 
 
 Lie not among these mounds, 
 For man}- sleep within the soil 
 
 Of distant battle-grounds. 
 In conflicts desperate and hot 
 
 Some comrades fell and died, 
 And strangers gave rude burial 
 
 The rebel foe beside. 
 FARWKLiy and Brown, Bell, Wolcott, Beach, 
 
 And others sleep to-day 
 Where Southward, armed battalions fought, 
 In fierce and bloody fray. 
 
 But Memory reaches out to them, 
 
 As unto others here, 
 Guarding their fame with solemn trust, 
 
 And holds them ever dear. 
 
128 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 occasion, was then read by Newton B. Spencer. After the 
 reading of the poem, the patriotic anthem, "America," sung 
 by the Amateur Glee Chib, and the benediction, pronounced 
 by the Rev. David Magie, closed the exercises of the day. 
 
 On the 30th of May of the following year (1870) Decora- 
 tion Day was observed more directly under the auspices of 
 the Post. The members met at 2 p. m. at the Post Eoom, 
 and marched to the front of Bush's Hall, on Main Street, 
 where a line of march was formed, under the direction of 
 Charles C. Hicks, as Marshal, in the following order : 
 
 Martial Band. 
 
 Choir. 
 
 Delegation of Knights Templar. 
 
 Clergy. 
 
 Speakers and Poet. 
 
 Ladies' Committee of Arrangements. 
 
 Decorative Committee. 
 
 Floral Committee. 
 
 Post Sloan and Soldiers. 
 
 Good Templars. 
 
 Citizens. 
 
 The procession marched to the Penn Yan Cemetery, 
 
 where the graves of the deceased soldiers who were at that 
 
 time interred in this cemetery were decorated by the Floral 
 
 Committee. At each grave a short sketch of the life of the 
 
 soldier there buried was given by the Commander of the 
 
 Post. The names of the soldiers whose graves were then 
 
 decorated were as follows: George E. Brazee, Co. A, 50th 
 
 N. Y. Eng.; Damon Lay, Co. I, 33d N. Y. Inf.; Lyman 
 
 Gray, Co. E, 148th N. Y. Inf.; Augustus F. Murdock, Co. I, 
 
 33d N. Y. Inf.; Willis E. Pierce, Co. I, 148th N. Y. Inf.; 
 
 John A. Holmes, Co. I, 33d N. Y. Inf.; Stanford J. Bigelow, 
 
 Co. L, 14th N. Y. Heavy Artillery; William T. Clark, Co. B, 
 
 In all our annals glorified 
 
 Illustriously bright, 
 Theif laurel wreaths shall never fade 
 
 In blank Oblivion's night; 
 But while Our Banner's Stars remain 
 
 The symbols of our power, 
 The fruitage of their daring deeds 
 
 Will richer grow each hour. 
 In future storm or while our peace 
 
 Glows golden as the sun, 
 As sacred as "The Heart of Bruce," 
 
 We'll keep what we have won. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 129 
 
 179th N. Y. luf.: Lieutenant A. Oliver Lewis, 15th Mich. 
 Inf.. Sergeant WilKam Kiker, Co. I, 33d N. Y. Inf.; Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel George C. Lee, United States Army ; Sergeant 
 H. M. Dunbar, Co. 1, 148th N. Y. Inf.; William F. Pierce, Co. 
 I, 33d N. Y. Inf.; Sergeant Thomas Hunter, Co. L, 14th N. 
 Y. Heavy Artillery; J. Henry Olmstead, Co. A, 22d N. Y. 
 Cav.; John B. Ingles, Co. G, 85th N. Y. Inf.; Colonel J. 
 Smith Brown, 126th N. Y. Inf.; Major J. Barnet Sloan, 
 179th N. Y. Inf.; John Alcooke, the Soldiers' Friend; Cap- 
 tain Samuel Wilson, 39th United States Colored Troops; 
 John Moxcey, Jr., Co. L, 14th N. Y. Heavy Artillery. A 
 general decoration was also given in honor of all dead sol- 
 diers belonging to the county who are elsewhere buried. 
 
 After the strewing of the graves with flowers, the other 
 ceremonies were proceded with in the following order : 
 
 Formatiou of Procession in a Square. 
 
 Prayer by the Rev. Thomas B. Hudson. 
 
 Singing by the Choir (Messrs. Henry L. Joy, Richard Bryan, George W. 
 
 Waddell, and Edward H. Hopkins, and Mrs. Elizabeth Tims, Mrs. 
 
 Sabra Hewson, Mrs. Ophelia Shearman, Mrs. Mary A. Robbius, 
 
 Mrs. Julia Burrill, and Miss Franc Bridgman.) 
 
 Address to the Soldiers by Major Hanford Struble. 
 
 Reading of Poem for Decoration Day by the Rev. James E. Latimer. 
 
 Oration by Captain John T. Andrews, 2d. 
 
 Singing of Doxology by the Choir. 
 
 Benediction by the Rev. Thomas B. Hudson. 
 
 At the close of these ceremonies the procession re-formed 
 and marched to the Catholic Cemetery, in the east part of 
 the village, where the graves of two more fallen heroes were 
 decorated as follows : John Tuell, Co. G, 14th N. Y. Heavy 
 Artillery; William AVelcher, Co. I, 148th N. Y. Inf. After 
 singing by the choir, the procession returned to Main Street 
 and disbanded at the place of formation. 
 
 J. Barnet Sloan Post No. 93 has been, from the time of 
 organization, one of the strongest orders having an abiding 
 place at the county-seat. During its existence the total 
 muster-roll has shown 265 members, the present number 
 being 109. In September, 1892, when the National En- 
 campment was held in Washington, the Post attended in a 
 body and took part in the grand parade of veterans, which 
 passed over the same course taken by the armies of Grant 
 
130 THE MILITAKY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 and Sherman in the grand review of 1865. The headquar- 
 ters of the Post is in Amity Hall in the Bush-Lown Block, 
 where the Post meets on the first and third Wednesdays of 
 each month. The present officers are these: Charles H. 
 Dunning, Commander; Samuel M. Whitbeck, Senior Vice 
 Commander; Joseph C. Foster, Junior Vice Commander; 
 Stephen B. Dunton, Adjutant; James Taylor, Surgeon; 
 Cassius N. McFarren, Chaplain ; Perry W. Danes, Quarter- 
 master; D. Clinton Robinson, Ofiicer of the Day; Peter 
 Mead, Ofiicer of the Guard ; Russell H. Carr, Quartermaster 
 Sergeant; Benjamin FuUagar, Sergeant-Major; John F. 
 Randolph, Delegate ; Edward Kendall, Alternate; Miss Cas- 
 tella N. Hobart, Daughter of the Post. The Council of 
 Administration are : Cassius N. McFarren, Benjamin Fulla- 
 gar, John F. Randolph, Stephen B. Dunton, and D. Clinton 
 Robinson. The Relief Committee are : Charles G. Lewis, 
 Joseph C. Foster, and John F. Randolph. Past Command- 
 ers of the Post : Martin S. Hicks, 1869, 1870, 1871 ; Cassius 
 N. McFarren, 1872, 1873; Jere S. Reed, 1874, 1875; Morris 
 
 F. Sheppard, 1876; D. Chnton Robinson, 1877; Henry M. 
 Mingay, 1878, 1884; John F. Randolph, 1879, 1880, 1891; 
 James M. Smith, 1881 ; Hanford Struble, 1882, 1883 ; Rich- 
 ard H. Andrews, 1885; Perry W. Danes, 1886, 1887, 1888; 
 George W. Hobart, 1889, 1890; Benjamin Fullagar, 1892; 
 Edward Kendall, 1893 ; Philo H. ConkUn, 1894. 
 
 MEMORIAL VOLUME PRESENTATION. 
 
 On Wednesday evening, December 28, 1892, a grand 
 camp-fire was held in Amity Hall by J. Barnet Sloan Post, 
 
 G. A. R., of Penn Yan. An interesting feature of the occa- 
 sion was the presentation of an elegant record-book — the 
 gift of George H. Lapliam, Esq. In attendance at the camp- 
 fire was a large and appreciative crowd, comprising many 
 invited guests, as well as the regular members of the Post. 
 At 8 o'clock Commander Benjamin Fullagar called the as- 
 semblage to order, and the proceedings began by vocal 
 music, finely rendered by the quartette, consisting of Mr. 
 Elmer St. John, Mr. Oliver Ketchum, Mrs. Elizabeth Tims, 
 and Mrs. Mary L. Raymond, with Mrs. Helen Bruce as or- 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OP YATES COUNTY. 131 
 
 ganist. Mr. Lapbam being unavoidably absent, Hon. Han- 
 ford Struble, Past Commander, was introduced and pre- 
 sented to Commander Fullagar the memorial volume, mak- 
 ing at tlie same time the following remarks : 
 
 Mr. Commander, Comrades, Ladies, and Gentlemen: — I hardly know 
 what to say to you, or, iudeed, how to properly begin my remarks in 
 thus being given the honor of presenting to the members of the Post this 
 magnificent volume, in which can be entered a record of their glorious 
 achievements in camp and field. I cannot, even in my brief speech, ex- 
 press my own deep appreciation of the gift, which we, as a Post, have 
 received. I had expected that the giver would be present to-night, and 
 that the honor of responding would perhaps be mine. On your faces, com- 
 rades, I might say I have looked a hundred times, and, as a record relat- 
 ing to my own friends and acquaintances, I can, with you, regard that 
 which this book will contain as one of especial importance and value. 
 The time is nearing when, if we make a record, it must be done soon. 
 When we went to battle we were young, buoyant, and full of hope ; now 
 we are nearing the decline of life. To-night it is my pleasure to present 
 to you the gift, the royal gift, of a citizen of this town. There is no sol- 
 dier who fought with honor in the last great conflict but made a glorious 
 history for himself — one worthy to be recorded. We read the history of 
 former wars, of the conquests made by Alexander and by Napoleon, but 
 what lasting good resulted? The Great Civil War was a means of lifting 
 mankind to a higher grade. Supreme in our might as a nation, we can 
 now defy a world in arms. 
 
 I remember once hearing that one night, after a great battle in the late 
 war, as the weary soldiers lay on the ground, a young soldier, whose 
 head was pillowed on his knapsack, began singing, "Home, Sweet 
 Home." One voice after another took up the strain, until hundreds 
 were singing it. The thoughts of home at such a time, what emotions 
 did they bring up? And when, after many years have passed away, and 
 we have all gone to our final home, future generations may read with 
 pride the record here given of the part we took in the greatest, the 
 noblest, and the grandest conflict ever placed in the annals of history. 
 
 Commander Fullagar, in responding, said that these gray- 
 headed veterans little imagined when, in the time of early 
 manhood, they went to battle, that they would ever receive 
 as a gift, from one of the citizens of Penn Yan, so grand a 
 book, in which to record their deeds performed on the battle- 
 field. And in behalf of and for these men, he accepted this 
 gift, assuring the giver that it will be ever treasured as a 
 priceless heirloom and an invaluable adjunct to the Post, 
 rendered more valuable, if possible, from the fact that it was 
 entirely unexpected, unasked for, unsought. That the pre- 
 sentation of it to the Post is the spontaneous act of a patri- 
 
132 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 otic citizen, solicitous that the names of the defenders of 
 our common country should not go down into oblivion. 
 Had the names and deeds of the Revolutionary fathers been 
 thus recorded, what a priceless treasure such a record would 
 be to their descendants. But, thanks to the donor of this 
 volume, the services of each comrade in this Post can be fit- 
 tingly recorded. Nor is this mark of esteem and thoughtful- 
 ness unworthily bestowed. For he could say (and not hav- 
 ing enlisted from Yates County, but from another and a dis- 
 tant State, he was glad he could say it without the charge of 
 egotism) that from no county, in any State, in all this broad 
 land, went forth better or braver men — men who did their 
 whole duty in a nobler manner, in camp, on the wearisome 
 march, or on the battle-field — than did the soldier boys of 
 Yates County. 
 
 The address of presentation and the one in response were 
 each greeted with loud applause. Comrade Edward Ken- 
 dall (lately elected Commander) then read an interesting 
 description of army life, according to his experience. A 
 narrative, vivid and affecting, was also read by Comrade 
 Frank Danes, giving an account of his captivity during eight 
 months at Andersonville and in other war-prisons in the 
 South. 
 
 Past Commander George W. Hobart arose and said that 
 the elegant record-book received was a token that would be 
 highly valued, both by the members of the Post and all 
 patriotic citizens, and he therefore moved that a unanimous 
 vote of thanks be given to George H. Lapham, Esq., and 
 that the same be entered upon record. The motion was 
 carried amid applause. 
 
 The story of the sinking of the "Monitor" off Cape Hat- 
 teras in 1862 was told in an interesting manner by Comrade 
 D. C. Robinson, who, at that time, was serving on board the 
 "Rhode Island," which, on the voj^age from Fortress Mon- 
 roe, had the noted ironclad in tow. In responding to calls, 
 brief and appropriate speeches were made by John H. But- 
 ler, Esq., Reading B. Lefterts, Hon. George R. Cornwell, 
 Hon. William S. Briggs, and Benjamin L. Hoyt, Esq. The 
 quartette (with all present joining in the chorus) then sang 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 133 
 
 the National airs, "Marching Though Georgia," and "The 
 Red, White, and Bhie." 
 
 The exercises were closed by a collation, one of the finest 
 of its kind, and ample justice was done to the rations of pork 
 and beans, sandwiches, fried cakes, and coffee, the last 
 being served in tin cups, in regular army style. 
 
 The memorial volume presented at the camp-fire is of 
 large size, gilt-edged, and handsomely bound. It measures 
 seventeen inches in length by twelve in breath, and is three 
 inches in thickness. The pages are 388 in number, and on 
 each is printed a beautiful pictorial design. Besides the 
 pages which are intended for the personal sketches of the 
 individual soldiers, the volume contains other departments, 
 in which can be written the record of acceptance and a his- 
 tory of the Post. On the cover, surrounded by illustrations 
 of implements of war, are the following words in letters of 
 gold: "Grand Army of the Eepublic. Personal War 
 Sketches. Presented to J. Barnet Sloan Post, No. 93, Penn 
 Yan, Department of New York, by George H. Lapham, 1892." 
 
 LONG POST AT PENN YAN. 
 
 William H, Long Post, No. 486, G. A. R., was granted a 
 charter August 18, 1895. The charter members were as fol- 
 lows : George Beebe, Martin L. Ballard, William H. An- 
 derson, Patrick Manley, David S. Blauvelt, Charles G. Lewis, 
 William H. Whitfield, George Burch, George P. Harrison, 
 William H. Marshall, Erastus N. Owen, Thomas Fee, David 
 Finger, Bennett Bogardus, Samuel H. Myers, Bradford 
 Cronk, William B. Larzelere, George C. Smith, Joseph Le 
 VauBender, John F. Brown, Philo H. Conklin, Joseph S. 
 Thayer, John H. Cornic, Joseph Worden, William C. Lloyd, 
 Frank Danes, Robert N. Coons, John Rector, David D. Tay- 
 lor, Edwin E. Cleveland, Melville R. Perry, George S. Wells, 
 Thomas Jefferson VanHouter, Charles G. Bassett. The 
 first and present oflicers of the Post are Philo H. Conklin, 
 Commander; George Beebe, Senior Vice Commander; 
 Robert N. Coons, Junior Vice Commander; Joseph Le Van 
 Bender, Surgeon ; Charles G. Lewis, Chaplain ; William H. 
 Whitfield, Quartermaster ; Joseph S. Thayer, Oflicer of the 
 Day ; Samuel H. Myers, Officer of the Guard ; Frank Danes, 
 
134 THE MILITAKY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Delegate; Erastus N. Owen, Alternate. Council of Admin- 
 istration — Charles L. Nichols, William B. Larzalere, David 
 D. Taylor, Patrick Manley, Reuben A. Scofield. Relief 
 Committee — Theodore G. Ross, Edwin E. Cleveland, David 
 S. Blauvelt. The above officers were publicly installed at 
 Cornwell's Opera House on Tuesday evening, August 27, 
 1895. There was a large attendance, testing the fullest ca- 
 pacity of the hall, and the occasion was one of rare interest 
 and enjoyment. Major Joseph P. Cleary, of Rochester, 
 Past State Department Commander, acted as installing offi- 
 cer. The evening exercises included music by the Penn 
 Yan Band, and a fine solo by Mrs. Harriet Reed, with Mrs. 
 Asenath Bellis as accompanist. After the installation cere- 
 monies, refreshments were served, provided by the Woman's 
 Relief Corps. Then followed short and stirring speeches by 
 Major and Mrs. Cleary, Hon. Hanford Struble, and Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Smith, Department Treasurer of the Woman's 
 Relief Corps of the State of New York. By a unanimous 
 vote of the new Post the Woman's Relief Corps, No. 102, 
 was made an auxiliary, with the title of William H. Long 
 Woman's Relief Corps, No. 102. 
 
 The meetings of the Post are held on the first and third 
 Tuesdays of each month at A. O. U. W. Hall. The present 
 membership is 83. The Post was named in honor of the 
 late Colonel William H. Long,* a biographical sketch of 
 whom is here given. 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF COLONEL W. H. LONG. 
 
 William Hale Long was born in New York City, February 
 22, 1835. At the age of fifteen he went to sea, remaining 
 three years in that service. On his return he engaged in the 
 hardware business with his father, Nathaniel R. Long, finally 
 settling in Penn Yan. 
 
 At the breaking out of the war he became Second Lieu- 
 
 *In grateful acknowledgement of this honorable remembrance a beau- 
 tiful silk flag of regulation size, 6x6>^ feet, was presented to this Post by 
 the widow and daughter of Colonel Long; also the coat, vest, hat, sash, 
 and spurs worn by the Colonel at the time of his muster-out, together 
 with two order books. These appropriate gifts were received October 23, 
 1S95. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 135 
 
 tenant of Company I, Thirty-third New York Infantry, his 
 commission dating May 14, 1861. He was promoted to 
 First Lieutenant on the 27th of December following. He 
 was discharged on the 16th of October, 1862, to accept his 
 promotion as Captain and Assistant Adjutant General of 
 Volunteers. 
 
 For brave and gallant conduct at Fort Stevens, near 
 Washington, D. C, he was (September 6, 1864,) promoted 
 to Major. This was during one of the Confederate General 
 Early's periodical raids, and President Lincoln, who was a 
 spectator of the fierce repulse given the enemy, and of the 
 bravery displayed on this occasion by Captain Long, per- 
 sonally bestowed upon the latter the commission, Avhich was 
 cherished ever after as a souvenir of inestimable value. 
 Had he (as he said) been made a General by the usual 
 methods, he could not have felt as proud as he did of the 
 honor which was conferred by the head of the Nation. 
 
 On the 19th of October, 1864, he was made a Brevet Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel for brave and meritorious service during the 
 campaign before Eichmond and in the Shenandoah Valley. 
 For bravery in the assault before Petersburg he received a 
 promotion as Brevet-Colonel, April 2, 1865. On the 19th of 
 September of the latter year he was mustered out, after a 
 military career that was creditable alike to himself and to 
 the repubHc, whose honor he upheld on many a hard-fought 
 
 field. 
 
 During his term of service he was Provost-Marshal under 
 General Brooks; aid-de-camp to General Davidson; as- 
 signed to duty under General Vinton, of the Third Brigade, 
 Sixth Corps, Army of the Potomac. When General Neill 
 took command of that brigade. Colonel Long became his 
 Assistant Adjutant-General. 
 
 Shortly after the close of the war Colonel Long came to 
 Boston, Mass., and entered the employ of Jordan, Marsh & 
 Co., a wholesale and retail firm then located on Winthrop 
 Square in that city. He was married in 1870 to Miss Carrie 
 Mason, of Bangor, Maine, and a daughter named Winifred 
 was born to them. 
 
 Colonel Long became a first-class member of the Massa- 
 
136 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 chusetfcs Commandery of the Loyal Legion April 5, 1876. 
 He remained in the employ of Jordan, Marsh & Co. until 
 the time of his decease, which occurred April 7, 1890, at his 
 home at Chelsea, near Boston. 
 
 COOK POST AT DUNDEE. 
 
 Edwin and Foster P. Cook Post, No. 71, G. A. E., was 
 organized at Dundee September 18, 1878. The charter 
 members were John H. Knapp, LeGrand Terry, Daniel 
 Cook, Darius Glover, Levi R. Bassett, Elias B. Green, James 
 E. Almy, Isaac Verian, Martin V. Wilkins, George W. 
 Dense, Isaac F. Lockwood, and Henry C. Schofield. The 
 first oflScers "were John H. Knapp, Commander; LeGrand 
 Terry, Senior Vice Commander ; Daniel Cook, Junior Vice 
 Commander; Darius Glover, Quartermaster; Levi R. Bas- 
 sett, Officer of the Day; James E. Almy, Officer of the 
 Guard; George W. Dense, Adjutant; Elias B. Green, Quar- 
 termaster Sergeant ; Isaac Verian, Sergeant. 
 
 The present officers of Cook Post are as follows : Henry 
 C. Schofield, Commander; Martin Schultz, Senior Vice 
 Commander; Alonzo Harris, Junior Vice Commander; 
 Daniel Cook, Officer of the Day ; Richard Welch, Officer of 
 the Guard; Darius Glover, Quartermaster; T. A. Baker, 
 Chaplain; Garry Kishpaugh, Adjutant. The Post meets in 
 G. A. R. Hall, Dundee, on the first and third Wednesdays 
 of each month. From the time of organization the total 
 number of members has been 94, the present membership 
 being 31. Past Commanders : John H. Knapp, 1878, 1879, 
 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1885 ; Hazard Wheeler, 1883 ; Elias 
 B. Green, 1886 ; James E. Almy, 1887 ; George W. Dense, 
 1888,1889; Henry Smith, 1890; Alonzo Harris, 1891 ; Eli- 
 sha Bowlsby, 1892, 1893, 1894. 
 
 HAYS POST AT POTTER. 
 
 Hays Post, No. 115, Department of New York, G. A. R., 
 was organized on the first day of October, 1879, at Middle- 
 sex. The charter members were William H. Fountain, Ben- 
 jamin Miles, Amos Francisco, Alexander A. Moshier, Daniel 
 Smith, Samuel Salisbury, Andrew Magill, William Burgess, 
 Henry Pierce, and George Hainer. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 137 
 
 Hays Post was named in honor of General Alexander 
 Hays, who was killed at the battle of the AVilderness, May 
 7, 1864. The first officers were: Alexander A. Moshier, 
 Commander; William Adams, Senior Vice Commander; 
 Orrin S. Reddout, Junior Vice Commander; Myron F. Haw- 
 ley, Adjutant; Samuel Salisbury, Surgeon; Robert B. Tozer, 
 Chaplain ; William Burgess, Officer of the Day ; Daniel 
 Smith, Officer of the Guard; Andrew Magill, Quartermaster; 
 Henry Pierce, Quartermaster-Sergeant; George Hainer, 
 Sergeant-Maj or. 
 
 In 1889 Hays Post was moved from Middlesex to Potter, 
 by consent of the Department Commander, Harrison Clark. 
 From the time of organization the membership roll has 
 shown the names of seventy-six comrades. At present the 
 number in good standing is twenty-three. The Post meets 
 in Durham's Hall. 
 
 The present officers are John H. Benedict, Commander ; 
 William D. Benedict, Senior Vice Commander; Charles Bo- 
 gart. Junior Vice Commander; John W. Durham, Quarter- 
 master; Sweet Brayton, Adjutant; Abel Briggs, Chaplain ; 
 Henry Wolven, Surgeon; John J. Conley, Officer of the 
 Day; Andrew J. Criss, Officer of the Guard; John Brando, 
 Quartermaster-Sergeant; John W. Durham, Delegate; Wil- 
 liam D. Benedict, Alternate. 
 
 Past Commanders: Alexander A. Moshier, 1879, 1880, 
 1881,1882; William Burgess, 1883, 1881, 188G; Myron F. 
 Hawley, 1885 ; George Hainer, 1887 : Andrew J. Criss, 1888 ; 
 Sweet Brayton, 1889, 1890; John W. Durham, 1891; Jabez 
 F. Hobart, 1892; Charles Bogart, 1893, 1894. 
 
 SCOTT POST AT RUSHYILLE. 
 
 Scott Post, No. 319, G. A. R., of Rushville, was organized 
 November 29, 1882, and was named in honor of Edwin A. 
 Scott, a member of the Eighth New York Volunteer Cavalry. 
 
 The charter members were D. J. Harkness, M. L. Taylor, 
 Charles P. Stearns, William N. Reddout, William S. Huie, 
 John Hogan, N, H. Green, Fred Ebert, Frank C. Fair- 
 child, C. AV. Stark, Albert AVheeler, Frank B. Gage, George 
 R. Hunter, Richmond Taylor, J. P. Kelley. 
 
 The first officers were D. J. Harkness, Commander; M. L. 
 
138 THE MILITARY HISTOllY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Taylor, Senior Vice Commander; Charles P. Stearns, Junior 
 Vice Commander; Charles W. Stark, Quartermaster; Wil- 
 liam S. Huie, Adjutant; William N. Reddout, Officer of the 
 Day ; George B. Parshall, Chaplain. 
 
 The present officers are William S. Huie, Commander ; 
 J. P. Kelley, Senior Vice Commander; Joseph Stephens, 
 Junior Vice Commander; Philip Walther, Quartermaster; 
 George B. Parshall, Chaplain; John Hogan, Officer of the 
 Day; Charles Sterling, Officer of the Guard; R. Brown, 
 Adjutant. 
 
 The Past Commanders have been : D. J. Harkness, Wil- 
 liam N. Reddout, Charles W. Stark, Lyman Culver, Russell 
 Brown. 
 
 The Post meets on the first and third Tuesday evenings 
 in each month. The number of members have been, since 
 organization, thirty-two. The present number is twenty- 
 four. 
 
 THE woman's relief coRrs. 
 
 The Woman's Relief Corps, No. 102, of Penn Yan, was 
 organized June 28, 1887, as an auxiliary to J. Barnet Sloan 
 Post, No. 93, G. A. R. The charter members were : Mrs. 
 Villa R. Andrews, Mrs. Ann J. Danes, Mrs. Eleanor B. Pul- 
 lagar, Mrs. S. Adelaide Hobart, Mrs. S. Runettie Randolph, 
 Mrs. Kate Russell, Mrs. Jennie B. Sample, Mrs. Mary A. 
 Sloan, Miss Minnie B. Sloan, Mrs. Sarah E. B. Smith, Mrs. 
 Laura B. Struble, Mrs. Harriett C. Worden. The organiza- 
 tion of the association took place in the rooms of Post 
 Sloan, and the following officers were installed in the pres- 
 ence of the Post by Mrs. Sarah C. Nichols, of Auburn, the 
 Department Senior Vice-President. Mrs. Jennie B. Sam- 
 ple, President; Mrs. S. Runettie Randolph, Senior Vice 
 President ; Mrs. S. Adelaide Hobart, Junior Vice-President ; 
 Miss Minnie B. Sloan, Secretary ; Mrs. Kate Russell, Treas- 
 urer; Mrs. Sarah E. B. Smith, Chaplain; Mrs. Mary A. 
 Sloan, Conductor; Mrs. Eleanor B. Fullagar, Guard; Mrs. 
 Villa R. Andrews, Assistant Conductor ; Mrs. Ann J. Danes, 
 Assistant Guard. 
 
 After the installation ceremonies, the ladies belonging to 
 the Corps were agreeably surprised by the members of the 
 
THE MILITARY HISTOllY OF YATES COUNTY. 139 
 
 Post, Avlio served them with ice cream, cake, etc. The new 
 associatiou was pleasantly welcomed by Chaplain Hanford 
 Struble, in behalf of the Post. Remarks were also made by 
 Senior Vice Commander George W. Hobart. The exercises 
 closed with an interesting speech by Adjutant John F. Ran- 
 dolph. 
 
 Since its organization the Corps has carried on a steady 
 and systematic benevolence in relief work among the veteran 
 poor and their families. To this class provisions, clothing, 
 fuel, etc., have, at times, been largely supplied. Homes 
 have also been found for destitute children, and employment 
 has been secured for the deserving. The members are en- 
 titled to praise for their persistence in the faithful work for 
 which they are organized. On August 27, 1895, the Wo- 
 man's Relief Corps, No. 102, was transferred from J. Barnet 
 Sloan Post, No. 93, G. A. R., to William H. Long Post No. 
 186 G. A. R., and, by invitation, became an auxiliary to the 
 latter Post. 
 
 The present officers of the Woman's Relief Corps are : 
 Mrs. Emma C. VanBender, President; Mrs. Sarah E. B. 
 Smith, Senior Vice-President; Mrs. Annetta Eastman, Jun- 
 ior Vice-President ; Mrs. Carrie M. Baker, Secretary ; Mrs. 
 Etta Havens, Treasurer; Mrs. Harriet A. Gardner, Chap- 
 lain," Mrs. Sophia Seligman, Conductor; Mrs. Minnie 
 Wood, Guard; Mrs. Elizabeth Shutts, Assistant Conductor; 
 Mrs. Kate Russell, Assistant Guard. 
 
 The Presidents from the time the association was organ- 
 ized have been as follows: Mrs. Jennie B. Sample, 1887, 
 1888; Mrs. Sarah E. B. Smith, 1889; Mrs. Susan Beebe, 
 1890,1891,1892; Mrs. Mary A. Sloan, 1893, 1891; Mrs. 
 Emma C. VanBender, 1895. 
 
 THE LADIES OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC. 
 
 On the 18th day of November, 1886, a convention was 
 held in Chicago, 111., composed of delegates from women's 
 societies, organized and working for the advancement of the 
 
 *Mrs. Elizabeth A. Long, an active and useful member of the Woman's 
 Relief Corps, No. 102, died at her home in Penn Yan, April 16, 1895. 
 Mrs. Long, at the time of her decease, was Chaplain of the Corps, and 
 was succeeded by Mrs. Harriet A. Gardner. 
 
140 THE MILITAEY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 principles of the G. A. R. lu this convention there were rep- 
 resentatives from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kansas, (Califor- 
 nia, Ohio, Delaware, and West Virginia, and a consolidation 
 was made with an organization in Illinois, known as the 
 Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic. 
 
 The name adopted is comprehensive, itself expressing the 
 fact that all members of this order are akin to and a part of 
 the "Grand Triumphant Army," which, with warm life- 
 blood, wrote "victory" on our country's escutcheon, and by 
 this act became a distinct organization. It is thoroughly 
 independent in its existence, and its services are alike to 
 every fraternal body of veterans, whether Post, Encamp- 
 ment, or National Association. 
 
 No woman can be admitted because of her loyalty, her in- 
 fluence, or her wealth. The "open sesame" is the service 
 given to his country by her father, her son, her brother, or 
 her husband. 
 
 The objects of this organization are to unite with loyalty 
 and love for each other, to practice the precepts of true fra- 
 ternity of feeling towards all sisters of the order, thus emu- 
 lating the spirit which unites the fathers and brothers ; to 
 honor the memory of those fallen, and to perpetuate and 
 keep forever sacred "Memorial Day"; to assist the Grand 
 Army of the Republic in its high and holy mission, and to 
 aid in its noble work of charity; to extend needful help to 
 sick veterans and their families. 
 
 A Department was formed in the State of New York on 
 the 7th of March, 1893. 
 
 Phil Sheridan Circle, No. 13, Ladies of the G. A. R., De- 
 partment of New York, was organized at Penn Yan on the 
 evening of November 27, 1891, by Mrs. Mary C. Smith, of 
 New York City, Department President. The following offi- 
 cers were installed by Mrs. Smith, assisted by Mrs. Susan 
 C. Beard, of Penn Yan, as Conductress jt>?'0 tevi. Mrs. S. Ru- 
 nettie Randolph, President; Mrs. Eleanor Fullagar, Senior 
 Vice-President; Mrs. Sarah W. Lewis, Junior Vice-Presi- 
 dent ; Mrs. Adelaide Titus, Treasurer ; Mrs. Frances War- 
 ner, Chaplain; Mrs. Maude Carr, Conductress; Miss Jennie 
 Horton, Guard; Mrs. Mary McFarren, Secretary. At the close 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 141 
 
 of the installation ceremonies appropriate and congratulatory 
 remarks were made by Commander Pliilo H. Coukliu, of 
 Post Sloan, G. A. K., Past Commanders George W. Hobart, 
 Perry W. Danes, Cassius N. McFarren, Benjamin Fullagar, 
 and John F. Randolph ; by Captain James H. Briggs, late of 
 Philadelphia; also by Comrades Joseph Eveland, D. Clinton 
 Robinson, Andrew B. Horton, Eli Lewis, and David Phil- 
 brook. Short and interesting addresses were likewise given 
 by Mrs. Smith, the Department President, and by Mrs. 
 Randolph, the newly-installed President of the Circle. The 
 name, "Phil Sheridan Circle of the Ladies of the G. A. R.," 
 was adopted by ballot. The National songs, "America" 
 and "Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!" were sung, and the pro- 
 ceedings closed by an excellent repast, reminiscent of army 
 fare. 
 
 The Phil Sheridan Circle meets on the first and third 
 Wednesdays of each month at Grange Hall on Main Street 
 in Penn Yau. The organization is steadily increasing in 
 membership and usefulness. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Militia Organizations— The First Separate Company, N. G. S. N. Y. 
 
 THE first militia regiment, composed wholly of residents 
 of Penn Yan and vicinity, was the One Hundred and 
 Third, which was in organization when Yates was yet a part 
 of the County of Ontario. The New York Annual Register 
 for 1821 gives the field, staff, and line officers of this regi- 
 ment as follows : Colonel, William Corn well, Jr.; Lieuten- 
 ant-Colonel, William Shattuck; Major, John Lawrence, Jr.; 
 Chaplain, Simon Southerland; Adjutant, James C.Robin- 
 sou; Quartermaster, Samuel Stewart; Paymaster, William 
 M. Oliver; Surgeon, Joshua Lee; Surgeon's Mate, Joel 
 Dorman; Captains, John F. Randolph, Baxter Hobart, Har- 
 vey French, Frederick S. Pierce, Jacob Herrick, Elijah 
 Hartwell; Lieutenants, Daniel King, Samuel B, Wyman, 
 Linsley Warfield, Israel Ferris, Jr., Nehemiah Winship, 
 AVilliam McDowell, Allen Cole, David Priest: Ensigns, 
 James P. Robinson, Ebenezer French, Thomas Ferris, John 
 S. Rowley, John W. Willey, Nehemiah Raplee, Thomas 
 Briggs, Elisha Doubleday, In Starkey, then called Reading, 
 and included in Steuben County, was located a portion of 
 the Eighty-first Regiment, commanded by Colonel Timothy 
 Hurd, who had been a Captain in the War of 1812. Colonel 
 Hurd was afterwards promoted to General of the First Brig- 
 ade, comprising the militia of Steuben and Allegany Coun- 
 ties. His son Harry was (in 1820) Cornet of a Company in 
 the Tenth Regiment of Cavalry in the same town, where was 
 also located in later years the Two Hundred and Sixth Reg- 
 iment,* commanded by Colonel Harvey G. Stafford. To 
 this regiment was attached an artillery company, under com- 
 mand of Captain John Royce. 
 
 *In this regiment Dr. Walter Wolcott held the rank of Surgeon, and 
 Captain Daniel Lanning commanded a company. John D. Wolcott, at 
 the same time, served (with the rank of Captain) on the staff of General 
 Nehemiah Raplee, who then commanded the Brigade, of which the Two 
 Hundred and Sixth Regiment formed a part. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 143 
 
 In 1825, when Yates County had been established, there 
 was a company of cavalry in Penn Yan, commanded by 
 Captain George Shearman. This company acted as an es- 
 cort to General Lafayette, on the occasion of his visit to 
 Geneva that year. This reception was also attended by an 
 artillery company from Penn Y^au, nnder command of Cap- 
 tain Abram P. Vosburgh. At a later period Yates and a 
 part of Ontario County were represented in the State militia 
 by the Fiftj-ninth Eegiment of Infantry. Colonel (after- 
 wards General) George Wagener was in command of this 
 regiment in 1840, and was succeeded by Jacob Van Orsdol, 
 and he by William A. Dutcher. At the time the regiment 
 was commanded by Colonel Dutcher, Edward Briggs was 
 Lieutenant-Colonel and Samuel B. Wyman was Major. 
 Company D (of this regiment), located in Potter, had, in 
 1845, the following line officers : Fiske Clark, Captain ; 
 James Conley, First Lieutenant; James C. Briggs, Second 
 Lieutenant. James Conley was promoted to Major in 1849 
 and to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1854. Previous to 1849 there 
 was an organization in this part of the State known as the 
 Ptitle Corps, to which Alexander F. Whitaker, of Penn Y"au, 
 belonged, and in which he attained the rank of Major- 
 General. The Fifty-ninth Regiment, in addition to its regu- 
 lar drills and training, would usually go into camp each 
 year, either at Canandaigua, Avon, Geneva, or Dansville. 
 The General Training was always a gala occasion, and was 
 usually held during the first week in September. Crowds of 
 people would assemble to witness the manoeuvres of the 
 troops on parade, and the quantity of refreshments, particu- 
 larly gingerbread, that woiild then be consumed is beyond 
 calculation. 
 
 During the latter part of the Civil War the Fifty-ninth 
 Regiment was officered as follows: Colonel, Benjamin L. 
 Hoyt; Lieutenant-Colonel, James Conley ; Major, John E. 
 Bean. The militia companies at that time organized and 
 belonging to this regiment were located in the following 
 towns: Company A in Benton — George H. Banks; Cap- 
 tain; Frank R. Cole, First Lieutenant; Oscar Hazen, Sec- 
 ond Lieutenant. Company B in Torrey — George S. Dow- 
 
144 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 ney, Captain; Hugh King, First Lieutenant; Sherman 
 Graves, Second Lieutenant. Company C in Penn Yan — 
 William W. Eastman, Captain; Alonzo T. Lyon, First Lieu- 
 tenant; Newton B. Spencer, Second Lieutenant. Company 
 D in Italy — George Baldwin, Captain: Ezra Squires, First 
 Lieutenant ; Allen B. Chase, Second Lieutenant. Company 
 E in Barrington — Lawrence E. Halloran, Captain ; John 
 Johnson, First Lieutenant; Darius E. Baley, Second Lieu- 
 tenant. Company F in Milo — Joseph St. John, Captain; 
 Foster S. Eoberts, First Lieutenant; Alexander H. Mills- 
 paugh. Second Lieutenant. Company G in Starkey — Myron 
 Skiff, Captain; A. Perry Minturn, First Lieutenant; Marcy 
 Robson, Second Lieutenant. Company H in Jerusalem — 
 Joel Burtch, Captain; Joel L. Davis, First Lieutenant. 
 Company I in Potter — David M. McMaster, Captain ; Cor- 
 nelius Halstead, First Lieutenant; Frank R. Andrews, 
 Second Lieutenant; Company K in Middlesex — Luther 
 Loomis, Captain; William H. Stebbins, First Lieutenant; 
 John J. Robson, Second Lieutenant. 
 
 Company C was at first an Independent Zouave Com- 
 pany, organized in Penn Yan in 1861.* The members of 
 this company, when on drill, wore a regular uniform, con- 
 sisting of fez caps, blue jackets, and red trousers, with regu- 
 lation leggings. The line officers at the time of organization 
 were William W. Eastman, Captain ; Meletiah H. Lawrence, 
 Jr., First Lieutenant ; Morris F. Sheppard, Second Lieuten- 
 ant. Shortly after the date of organization, Morris F. 
 Sheppard was succeeded as Second Lieutenant by A. Oliver 
 Lewis. This company is remarkable for having furnished a 
 number of commissioned officers for service in the war. 
 
 In 1862, when the National Guard Act was passed by the 
 Legislature of the State of New York, the Independent 
 Zouave Company was mustered (July 16th) under this act 
 into the State service as Company C of the Fifty-ninth Reg- 
 iment. The line officers of the company at that time were 
 
 * Another independent company, known as the "Home Guards," also 
 as the "Excelsior Guards," was formed that year in Penn Yan. The of- 
 ficers of this company were : James Burns, Captain ; Jeremiah S. Jillett, 
 First L,ieutcnant ; William C. Joy, Second Lieutenant ; Michael P. Bren- 
 nan, Orderly. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 145 
 
 William W. Eastman, Captain ; Alonzo T. Lyon, First 
 Lieutenant; Newton B. Spencer, Second Lieutenant. This 
 company was on guard duty at Canandaigua for a few days 
 in the summer of 1863 for the purpose of keeping order 
 during the draft. In 1864 the company members volun- 
 teered for one hundred days and were mustered Aug. 25th 
 into the service of the United States for that period. They 
 were enlisted into the Fifty-eighth Kegiment, commanded 
 by Colonel Eeuben P. Wisner, and became Company H of 
 that organization. Company H had the following line offi- 
 cers : WiUiam W. Eastman, Captain ; Alonzo T. Lyon, 
 First Lieutenant ; George Titus, Second Lieutenant. Dur- 
 ing the period of enlistment the company was on detached 
 service, with headquarters at Elmira, and was employed in 
 conducting volunteers and substitutes to the front, and in 
 guarding Confederate prisoners. Company H was mustered 
 out at Elmira, Dec. 3, 1864. The members then became 
 Company A of the Fifty-ninth Regiment of the National 
 Guard, and were finally mustered out at Penu Yan, Dec. 19, 
 1868.* 
 
 Muster-in roll of Company H of the Fifty-eighth Regi- 
 ment of Infantry: 
 
 William W. Eastman, Captain; Alonzo T. Lyon, First 
 Lieutenant; George Titus, Second Lieutenant; Lauren C. 
 Eastman, Albert Brigden, Ransom B. Jones, Eli Lewis, 
 Herman C. Howell, Sergeants ; John B. Gilbert, John J. 
 VanDeventer, Charles H. Comstock, Ransom Pratt, Cor- 
 porals ; Privates, Andrew M. Brown, Theodore Barber, 
 George Bell, Daniel L. Chapin, Charles S. Eastman, Ed- 
 ward G. Elliott, Edward S. Fullagar,t John A. Graham, 
 Lewis H. Haight, Addison Hawley, Nelson R. Hammond, 
 George A. Hanford, Charles A. Kerney, James M. Lown, 
 John W. Merrifield, Peter Mills, John R. Middleton, 
 Charles W. Morgan, Jacob Rector, Jesse Reynolds, George 
 F. Sherland, Charles H. Smith, Joshua Titus, George Tuu- 
 nicliff, Joseph J. Thayer, William O. Valentine, Edward K. 
 VanDeventer, Jonathan J. Whitaker, Charles Woodruff. 
 
 *The remaining companies of the 59th Regiment had been previously 
 mustered out in the month of June, 1868. 
 tDied. 
 
146 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 THE FIRST SEPARATE COMPANY, N. G. S. N. Y. 
 
 In 1875 a law was passed authorizing the formation or or- 
 ganization of separate companies of infantry, to be attached 
 to brigade or division headquarters. The first company in 
 the State to be organized under the new law was the First 
 Separate Company, N, G. S. N. Y., which was organized at 
 Penn Yan on the 15th of June of that year. The line offi- 
 cers at the time of organization were William W. Eastman, 
 Captain ; Calvin J. Huson, First Lieutenant ; Arthur S. 
 Bush, Second Lieutenant. Calvin J. Huson was succeeded, 
 as First Lieutenant, by Henry M. Mingay, who, in 1882, 
 was promoted to Captain. Arthur S. Bush was succeeded, 
 as Second Lieutenant, by Eansom B. Jones, who became 
 First Lieutenant in 1882. The same year Abraham Gridley 
 was promoted from Corporal to Second Lieutenant, and on 
 Jan. 26, 1883, was further promoted to first Lieutenant, and 
 was raised to the rank of Captain July 3, 1885. George T. 
 Wilkins was promoted Oct. 5, 1885, from Sergeant to First 
 Lieutenant, and Andrew C. Harwick was promoted from 
 Corporal to Second Lieutenant Jan. 26, 1883. Dr. Ben- 
 jamin L, Holt was made Assistant- Surgeon, with the rank 
 of First Lieutenant, Sept. 8, 1883. The company was at 
 first attached to the Seventh Brigade, Fourth Division, but 
 on the re-organization of the National Guard of the State, 
 Jan. 1, 1886, the old organization of brigades and divisions 
 was changed and the entire National Guard was re-organ- 
 ized into four brigades. The First Separate Company then 
 became attached to the Fourth Brigade, with headquarters 
 at Buffalo. 
 
 The company was handsomely uniformed and was sup- 
 plied with the KeDiington breech-loading rifle. The armory 
 was located in what was formerly known as Washington 
 Hall, on the east side of Main Street in Penn Yan. The 
 main room of the Armory was spacious, well ventilated, and 
 lighted by twelve gas jets, and here the company was 
 drilled, usually on each Monday evening. The arms were 
 stored, when not in use, in racks in a substantial arms-cup- 
 board that stood at the south end of this room. In closets 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 147 
 
 in an adjoining room were also kept the imiforms and 
 eqiTipments of the different members of the company. 
 
 In July, 1877, at the time of the great railroad strike, orders 
 from the Division Headquarters were received directing the 
 First Separate Company to hold itself in readiness to go to 
 Hornellsville at a moment's notice. The members, ready 
 armed and equipped, remained at the Armory for three days, 
 but were not ordered out. The company, during the time of its 
 organization, established a well deserved reputation for ex- 
 cellence in drill, and several times took part in the State en- 
 campment at Peekskill. On the 30th of April, 1889, it par- 
 ticipated in the grand parade held in New York City on the 
 Centennial celebration of Washington's inauguration. By 
 orders from general headquarters the First Separate Com- 
 pany was mustered out at Penn Yan January 22, 1890. At 
 the time of muster-out the company had the following line 
 officers: Abraham Gridley,* Captain; George T. Wilkins, 
 First Lieutenant ; Andrew C. Harwick, Second Lieutenant. 
 
 Eoster of members of the First Separate Company, with 
 the year in which each member joined the same: 
 
 1875. William W. Eastman, Captain; Calvin J. Huson, 
 First Lieutenant; Arthur S. Bush, Second Lieutenant; 
 Henry M. Mingay, Orderly Sergeant; Lauren B. Drake, 
 Second Sergeant; Eansom B. Jones, Third Sergeant; 
 Michael Hennessy, Fourth Sergeant; Michael McCormick, 
 Fifth Sergeant; Delos A. Belhs, Quartermaster-Sergeant; 
 William A. Kemer, First Corporal; James F. Benton,t 
 Second Corporal; Edson Potter, Third Corporal; Frederick 
 W. Bryan, Fourth Corporal; Israel B. Chissom, Fifth Cor- 
 poral; William H. Conklin, Sixth Corporal; Henry W. 
 Nichols, Seventh Corporal; Frank Cramer, Eighth Cor- 
 poral ; Privates, Edwin A. Amsbury, Charles Bell, Charles 
 H. Bonner, Henry S. Bridgman,t George B. Butler, Austin 
 P. Bush, William Bush, Frank Bothwell, Eugene O. Bord- 
 
 * Captain Gridley still holds the commission received from the State 
 July 3, 1885, but is rendered supernumerary by the order mustering out 
 the company. He also received, when a student at Cornell University, 
 a Captain's commission for proficiency in military science. 
 
 t Member of the band of music attached to the Company, and known 
 as "Hyatt's Military' Baud," 
 
148 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 well, John Chamberlain, George S. Cornell, John Downs, 
 Jr., George S. Evans, James M, Gates, William H. Glad- 
 ding,* Frank E. Gillett, Charles Hainer, William A. Hen- 
 derson, John T, Hollo way, George Hyatt," Alphouso 
 Hyatt," William C. Hammond, Willett E. Hazen, Eobert 
 F. Jolley, Samuel H. Kinnear,* Charles E, Ludlow, Walter 
 S. Martin, Thomas M. Markland, William McClafferty, 
 David J. McKie, Frank Meade, Jr., Lot McNernay, George 
 S. Norris,* Frank W. Phillips," Dyer I. Eoyce, William H. 
 Eemer, Hadley Eemer, Henry C. Shearman, Oscar F. Slay- 
 ton, Frank E. Spencer, Eobei"t D. Stewart, William A. 
 Stanton, John Tobin, Charles E. Yanderlip, Eobert Watts, 
 William Warren, George T. Wilkins, Peter F, Whitbeck," 
 Otto White, Orville B. Wood,* William H. Wood,* Nicholas 
 Wollaver. 
 
 Band. — George Hyatt, leader; George S. Norris (leader 
 2W0 tern.), E flat cornet; Frank W. Phillips, B flat cornet; 
 Henry S. Bridgnian, first E flat alto ; William H. Gladding, 
 E flat trombone ; Orville B. Wood, first B flat tenor ; Sam- 
 uel H. Kinnear, tuba ; Peter F. Whitbeck, tenor drum ; Al- 
 phonso Hyatt, bass drum; William H. Wood, cymbals; 
 James F. Benton, drum major. 
 
 1876. Stephen G. Bushnell, William Brennau, Marshall 
 E. Botsford, William Cook, D. Morse Castner, Edward G. 
 Elliott,!' Abraham Gridley, Charles S. Hoyt, William E. 
 Leach, David McEvoy, Daniel O'Neil, Thomas Page, Dar- 
 win P. Spear. 
 
 1877. Samuel J. Ask, Charles F. Carley, Albert J. Chil- 
 vers, Herbert Eaton, Ernest Eaton, Howard W. Farmer, 
 Charles E. Eaymond. 
 
 1878. Andrew C. Harwick, Charles E. Hm-ford, Fred 
 Miller. 
 
 1879. Joshua B. Ellis, Ed. F. Wickham. 
 
 1880. Narcisso Alvarez, John Barrett, A. Judson Bennett, 
 George W. Brown, Eugene A. Bogardus, John Clear}^ 
 Samuel Caton, Frank Camfield, Theron F. Gray, Charles B. 
 Hazard, Owen Hoban, Lewis T. Halladay, James N. 
 
 * Member of the band of music attached to the Company, and known 
 as "Hyatt's Military Band." 
 
 t Succeeded Peter F. Whitbeck as snare drummer. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 149 
 
 Hazard, George Jayne, Junius W. Kellam, John M. Leslie, 
 Alfred C. Moslier, Charles W. Miller, John S. Miller, John 
 Purdy, John S. Parshall, George F. Reynolds, George Rey- 
 nolds, Frank Tuttle, Harry Wilcox, James Seymour Wil- 
 cox, WilKam E. Wheeler. 
 
 1881. John Craugh, Samuel Kidder, Joseph G. Ketchum, 
 Frank H. Kerney, Patrick McElligott, George F. Mapes, 
 Elmer A. Meeks, Simeon F. Orman, Frank Sutherland. 
 
 1882. Thomas Arnold, James A. Baker, Wilham F. Borg- 
 man, Robert Clemence, Smith J. Dailey, James E. Moon, 
 Malcom D. Mix, Sheldon J. Shaw, Frank M. Simmonds, 
 Samuel D. Sands, Edward H. Southerland, Harry E. Wil- 
 kins. 
 
 1883. Arthur Ayers, George H. Dunham, Patrick H. 
 Flynn, Adelbert J. Hodges,* Benjamin L. Holt, Frederick 
 W. Pasco, Dewitt G. Rogers. 
 
 1881. George T. Amsbury, Henry G. Hunt, Thomas B. 
 Hunter, Charles J. Ketchum, Edwin Lathrop, George Min- 
 gay, George D. Pvirdy, David P. Shute. 
 
 1885. Jeremiah Dwyer, Thomas Dwyer, Archie Nelson 
 Daiues, Anthony J. Freeman, Fred W. Flynn, Hiram A. 
 Finger, Charles F. Forshay, Rowland J. Gardner, Jr., Wil- 
 liam H. Hopkins, Delos W. Hopkins, Sidney E. Hopkins, 
 John Lacy, George W. Lewis, Philip Nageldinger, Clark 
 Northrup, Francis J. Roche, William L. Stebbins, Winfred 
 P. Thompson, Arthur C. Warren, Gustaf Adolf Zetterberg. 
 
 1886. William Agan, Henry G. Arnold, Charles T. Bur- 
 rill, Albert R. Brooks, William Grant Carroll, Henry White 
 Callahan, James B. Clark, DeCorie Dean, Ed. A. Dunning, 
 Albert W. Hathaway, Thomas Hazard, Frank W. Huff, 
 Harry Jessup, Oliver Lyons, Elmer H. Nelson, James E. 
 Roche, WilHam H. Sands, Gideon W. Townsend, Samuel 
 M. Whitbeck, Jr. 
 
 *Ia 1882 a military department was established at Starkey Seminary 
 and placed under the direction of Adelbert J. Hodges of the First Sepa- 
 rate Company. The students in this department were uniformed and 
 supplied with arms. This was the first school of instruction in military 
 tactics established in Yates County. Ten years later a department for 
 military instruction was established, also under the direction of Mr. 
 Hodges, at Keuka College. 
 
150 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 1887. George E. Almy, Fred W. Beam, Fred A. Beach, 
 John M. Brown, Ralph S. Caywood, Charles Campbell, 
 Charles Cobb, Marshall Cooper, Clinton Cresson, William 
 A. Curran, Charles F. Dense, William C, Dennis, William 
 E. Dense, John Faley, Edward A. Ferris, Arthur G. Gan- 
 non, Ed. Houghtailing, Frank W. Huff, George F. Hamil- 
 ton, P. H. Killigrew, Charles C. Knapp, John Legg, James 
 L. Lott, Harry S. Mizner, Edward Maroney, James F. 
 Moon, William Murphy, Charles Norris, Daniel O'Connor, 
 Jonah Ousterout, Charles W. Phillips, Frank Patten, William 
 W. Shaw, Addison R. Shultz, Edward Smith, Frank T. 
 Timms, Wilber A. Taft, George Tompkins, Edgar E. Wells, 
 Charles E. Wright. 
 
 1888. Daniel L. Booth, John R. Clemence, Howard L. 
 Drew, George W. Denison, Melvin Dewey, Elmer Ellsworth 
 Fox, Martin V. Margeson, Thomas McElligott, George S. 
 Raplee, Fred Stroup, Charles H. Weaver, Paul J. West- 
 cott. 
 
 1889. Clark Bellis, Daniel H. Beyea, Patrick Cunning- 
 ham, William Cresson, Charles Clark, Gardner B. Ellis, 
 James H. Gamby, Ezra J. Horn, Arthur King, Harry Lipes, 
 James H. Lord, Clay Miller, Emerson R. Meade, James T. 
 Smith, George Titus, Jr., John Vail, Asa H. Wortman, 
 Edward West. 
 
 The Military History of Yates County has now been car- 
 ried down to the present time. Concerning what chapters 
 future years may add thereto, it is idle to speculate. Per- 
 chance we are still to enjoy a long period of peace ; it may 
 be that ere long the stirring annals of another war will en- 
 gage the chronicler. However this may be, of one thing it 
 is certain, and that is, that the conduct of the sons of Yates 
 in the future will be such that they will never be ashamed to 
 have it recalled in connection with the deeds of their illus- 
 trious sires. 
 
 Amid civic corruption and devotion to the chase of the 
 Almighty Dollar, both of Avhich evils are so prevalent among 
 the American people of to-day, it may seem that patriotism 
 is dead. But let no one fear. When the need for action 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 151 
 
 comes, the young men of America will rush to the defence 
 of their imperiled country with no less readiness than did 
 the boys of '61. 
 
 When the next great contest comes, it will find all Ameri- 
 cans united in devotion to one country and one flag. The 
 days of civil strife are over and with it the spirit of section- 
 aUsm is also dead. The fact that the South desires a foreign 
 war in order to show her present devotion to that Union 
 which she once sought to destroy is one of the encouraging 
 signs of the times. The memories of our civil contest will 
 soon divide Americans no more than the reminiscences of 
 the wars of Cromwell divide the descendants of the Puri- 
 tans and Cavaliers in England. Time is the mighty healer 
 of all wounds. The blood shed in battle sinks into the 
 earth ; the grass grows green over the slain ; contemporary 
 generations pass away, and soon naught remains but history. 
 
 Henceforth we shall know no North, no South, no East, 
 no West, but shall all unite in devotion to the Star Spangled 
 Banner. If anything shall menace " Old Glory," certain as 
 the eternal hills it is that it will be deserted by not a single 
 
 American. 
 
 Here we shall gather its cause to defend : 
 Let patriots rally aud wise counsels lend ; 
 It still shall be the flag of the free, 
 Emblem of sweet liberty. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 A HEROINE OF THE REVOLUTION. 
 
 IN the first chapter of this volume mention has been made of Eliphalet 
 Hull, Seth Hull, and Cyrus Buell as being among the soldiers of the 
 Revolution who settled in Yates County. The wife of Eliphalet Hull, 
 who was also the mother-in-law of Cyrus Buell, is worthy of a somewhat 
 extended notice for the part she took in the War for Independence. Her 
 maiden name was Huldah Patchen. She was born in Connecticut, and 
 was there married to Mr. Hull. They moved in 1771 to the country be- 
 tween Ballston and Fort Edward in the then colony of New York, where 
 they lived till after the Revolutionary War. Mr. Hull was largely en- 
 gaged in that war, and in his absence his wife and children sometimes 
 fled to the woods for safety from marauding bands of Indians and Tories. 
 Mrs. Hull had one particular retreat at the root of an overturned tree, 
 where, in a hollow filled with leaves, she, with her children's heads in 
 her lap, slept many a night in the summer of 1777. In the fall of that 
 year, on the approach of Burgoyne, with his Hessian and Indian allies, 
 she loaded a cart with some goods and her youngest children, herself and 
 the older ones walking, and driving the only remaining cow, and re- 
 turned to the old home in Connecticut, stopping nights with hospitable 
 farmers on the way. She and her children found homes with her own 
 and her husband's parents until the close of the campaign. 
 
 Mrs. Hull was one of the heroines of the Revolution, and her exploits 
 were many. On one occasion, when all the women and children were in 
 Fort Edward and the Captain needed to send for additional troops, 
 none but old men and boys being in the fort, she volunteered to go. 
 Taking the Captain's horse and saddle, and in a man's overcoat and hat, 
 she rode out in the dark night, through wind and rain, for the needed 
 help. Cyrus Buell, then a lad of 14, but a soldier in the ranks, saw his 
 future mother-in-law, for the first time, as she rode in at daybreak. Cyrus 
 Buell was shortly afterwards taken prisoner by the British and Indians, 
 but was ransomed from the latter by a British officer, who kept him three 
 years at Quebec and Montreal, and wished to adopt him and take him to 
 England, and only gave him up when peace was declared, when he re- 
 turned to his family who had long mourned him as dead. When he was 
 first taken prisoner the long line of captives was counted off, half to the 
 British and half to the Indians, the dividing point falling between him- 
 self and a young friend, from whom he parted, as he supposed, forever. 
 Years afterwards he found that friend living on a farm beyond Seneca 
 Lake. 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 153 
 
 Eliphalet Hull, with his wife and family, moved from their home near 
 Ballston, and settled in Benton in 1792. There were nine children in the 
 family, eight living to be old men and women. One of the sons, Eli- 
 phalet Hull, Jr., was a soldier in the War of 1812, and married a daughter 
 of the celebrated frontiersman, General Moses Van Campen. Mrs. Hull 
 was a distinguished-looking woman in her younger days, having a tall, 
 stately form, with brilliant black eyes. Her brother. Captain Daniel 
 Patchen, commanded in the troop known as Washington's Body Guard. 
 Her cousin, General Freegift Patchen, was once taken prisoner by the 
 Indians under Brant, but was afterwards released. Mrs. Hull's wit was 
 proverbial, and she was guilty of a pun upon her wedding day. She said 
 she had been a Patchen all her life, but at last she was Hull. She had a 
 remarkable memory, and of her life and experiences during the Revolu- 
 tion she never wearied in telling. The last twenty-five years of her life 
 were spent at the home of her grandson, David H. Buell, at Benton Cen- 
 ter, where she died, September 3, 1839, at the age of 90 years. 
 
 II. 
 EXTRACT FROM THE COUNTY TREASURER'S REPORT FOR 1865. 
 
 I have prepared the following statement of the number of men fur- 
 nished by Yates County since the commencement of the war ; also the 
 amount paid by the county, as bounties, aid to families of volunteers, en- 
 listing fees, interest on bonds, and the incidental expenses connected 
 with and incurred therein ; also the present indebtedness and financial 
 condition of the county. And in presenting this report of the prompt 
 and ready response of our citizens to the calls of the Government for men, 
 and by the noble and heroic work performed by the soldiers, who so 
 cheerfully responded to those calls, I am satisfied that this report will 
 compare favorably with the active and present financial condition of any 
 locality in the State. 
 
 The whole number of men furnished by Yates County since the com- 
 mencement of the war is 2,109. 
 
 Amount of Bounty paid by the County |6i4,88o 00 
 
 Amount of Enlisting Fees 23,365 00 
 
 Amount of Volunteer Aid 18,207 00 
 
 Amount of Interest paid on Bonds 19,752 95 
 
 Amount of Incidental Expenses 4,241 68 
 
 $680,446 63 
 Of this amount there has been paid by : 
 
 Tax of 1862 $30,000 
 
 Tax of 1863 28,000 
 
 Tax of 1864 122,369 
 
 Extra Tax of 1865 80,000 
 
 $260,369 $260,369 00 
 
 $420,077 63 
 Received from the State of New York bonds and cash . 191,400 00 
 
 $228,677 63 
 
154 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 Of this amount there is due, February 15th, after de- 
 ducting New York State bonds and cash on hand . . 100,321 63 
 
 Interest on whole amount of bonds up to February 15, 
 
 1866 ■ 18,593 05 
 
 Due February 15, 1866 |ii8,9i4 68 
 
 Due February 15, 1867 1110,832 00 
 
 Interest to February 15, 1867 8,984 92 
 
 Due February 15, 1867 $119,816 92 
 
 Due February 15, 1868 $17,524 00 
 
 Interest to February 15, 1868 1,227 68 
 
 Due February 15, 1868 $18,751 68 
 
 This will make a tax of i j^ per cent, each year for 1865 and 1866, and 
 the ordinary county tax, added of about ij4 P^r cent., would give us a 
 county tax of 2)-( per cent., or about the same as the tax of the past win- 
 ter, excluding the extra tax of March, 1865. So the whole war debt of 
 Yates County is only about three per cent, on the taxable property of the 
 county, and is all, or nearly all, payable a year from next February. So 
 much for the financial condition of Little Yates. Nobly has she responded 
 to the calls made upon her by the Government. She was ever ready to 
 sustain by her men, her votes, and her money. And now let us not be 
 unmindful of the debt we owe to those brave men, who are returning to 
 their homes, after having suffered and endured the toils and privations of 
 war. Let us give them a hearty welcome, ever remembering that when 
 our hearts were made glad with the news of victory, that these are the 
 men, who, by their courage and bravery, helped gain that victory. And 
 to them we owe a debt of gratitude that we should not soon forget. And 
 to the relatives of those who have so nobly fallen while battling for the 
 right, shall we not remember that our duty to them is not in idle words, 
 but in acts that shall remind them that husband, father, brother, or son 
 fell in a righteous cause, and a grateful people will revere their memory? 
 
 JAMES BURNS, 
 
 Treasurer. 
 III. 
 
 REPORT OF THE VOI^UNTEER COMMITTEE. 
 
 Jo the Honorable the Board of Supervisors of Yates County: 
 
 GenTI,EMEN : — Your committee, appointed under resolutions of the 
 Board passed December 31, 1864, and also resolutions passed at subsequent 
 meetings, to superintend the payment of bounties to volunteers, also the 
 payment of enlisting fees or hand money, and other incidental expenses 
 incurred therein by authority of said resolutions, would respectfully re- 
 port that there were 233 men enlisted and credited to the different towns 
 in the county under the last call. Of this number 204 enlisted for three 
 years, and were paid a bounty of $600 each ; 4 enlisted for two years, and 
 were paid $400 each ; 22 enlisted for one year, and were paid $300 each ; 
 and 3 enlisted as ofl&cers, receiving no bounty, but were paid the enlist- 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 155 
 
 iug fees. The total amount paid for bounties was $130,600, the amount 
 paid for enlisting fees, or hand money, was |i6,S30. Your committee 
 would further report that the $130,600, paid for bounties, has been re- 
 funded to the county by the State ; also the sum of $61,400 has been re- 
 ceived for excess of years of service on former calls. The county has 
 thus realized a benefit for her prompt and efficient action under former 
 calls, not only in readily filling her quotas, but also for the liberal induce- 
 ments offered for three years' service. Your committee would further 
 report that the quota of every town in the county on the last call was 
 filled, or nearly filled, when the order was received to stop recruiting, as 
 no more men were wanted. Yates County, when called on for men or 
 money, was not found wanting. Your committee would further report 
 that bonds were issued by the Treasurer of the count}^ for the purposes 
 set forth in the resolutions of the Board, to the amount of $148,730. Of 
 this amount there is due and payable February 15th, 1866, $79,559, and 
 interest; February 15th, 1867, $49,897, and interest; February 15th, 1868, 
 $17,524, and interest, and $1,750, borrowed, and payable 30 days from 
 date. Your committee, in closing their report, would call the attention 
 of the Board, and also the people of the county, to the fact that all frauds, 
 false credits, and other wrongs, whereby counties have been imposed 
 upon by fictitious credits, and the Government defrauded thereby, Yates 
 County, by dealing directly with the soldier, has avoided. The bounties 
 have been paid to the volunteer, and not to scalpers and scoundrels, who 
 have grown rich out of this worse than human traffic. Your committee 
 would also take this opportunity to express their thanks to the Provost- 
 Marshal of this district. Captain Remer, and also to the other members 
 of the Board of Enrollment, for their kind and gentlemanly treatment, 
 and for the honorable and fair manner which we have always been dealt 
 with. And we would also take this opportunity to thank the members of 
 the Board of Supervisors for their liberality and kindness. On all occa- 
 sions we have found them ever ready to respond to the calls of the Gov- 
 ernment and working for the best interests of the county, and we feel 
 that they have reason to be proud of the work of the county and its pres- 
 ent financial condition. We have no war debt running longer than two 
 years from next February, and only a small amount after one year from 
 that time — 3 per cent, on the assessed valuation would pay the whole war 
 debt of the county — and the war is over, eff"ectually closed. Yates County 
 has performed her duty faithfully, and her labors have not been in vain. 
 We congratulate the Board of Supervisors and the county that the rebel- 
 lion is among the things of the past, the call for men to sustain the Union 
 and the glory of the old flag is heard no more, the occasion for them is 
 past, the labors of your committee are closed. Faithfully have they tried 
 to perform the responsible duties entrusted to them. They have consid- 
 ered all portions of the county as having a common interest, and have 
 endeavored to deal alike with all. If they have erred, it has been the 
 error of judgment and not of intentional wrong. Their record is before 
 
156 THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 
 
 you. That it will meet with your approbation, and also the approbation 
 of the citizens of Yates County, is the earnest wish of your committee. 
 Very respectfully submitted, 
 
 JAMBS BURNS, Treasurer. 
 JOHN C. SCHEETZ, 
 LEWIS B. GRAHAM, 
 
 Coniniittee. 
 
 IV. 
 SOI^DIERS' MONUMENT IN BENTON. 
 
 The town of Benton furnished one hundred and thirty -o ne soldiers for 
 the War for the Union, of whom thirty-eight sacrificed their lives in the 
 service. Shortly after the close of the war, a movement was set on foot 
 among the returned soldiers and other residents of Benton to erect a mon- 
 ument to the memory of the men who enlisted from this town. An asso- 
 ciation was at length established, called the "Monument Association," of 
 which the first officers were as follows: William J. Pool, President; 
 Walter W. Becker, Secretary ; John D. Pool, Treasurer. As a means of 
 raising funds for the necessary expense of erecting the monument, festi- 
 vals and donation parties were at intervals held, and subscriptions were 
 also solicited. Among the residents who were active in soliciting funds 
 by subscription, the late Samuel H. Chapman is entitled to particular 
 mention. The efforts of the association to establish a fitting memorial 
 were after several years crowned with success, and the first soldiers' mon- 
 ument erected in Yates County was dedicated with appropriate ceremo- 
 nies at Benton Center on the afternoon of Saturday, June 15, 1895. 
 
 The orator of the day was the Hon. Hanford Struble, who rode with 
 various prominent residents of Penn Yan to Benton Center in the car- 
 riage once owned by Jemima Wilkinson, the "Universal Friend." When 
 they arrived at Benton Center the party was escorted to the speaker's 
 stand by mounted marshals. The speaker's stand was beautifully decor- 
 ated with flags and floral emblems. The address by Judge Struble was 
 particularly eloquent, and contained many fitting references to the pa- 
 triotism evinced in the town of Benton during the late civil strife. The 
 programme included singing by the male quartette, and recitations by 
 Miss Maud Swarthout, J. Stuart McAlpine, Miss Alice Pool, and Thomas 
 Baxter. The unveiling of the monument, the dedication ceremou}', and 
 the decoration service were very impressive. The weather was fine and 
 a large gathering of people was in attendance, including many members 
 of the Grand Army of the Republic in uniform. 
 
 The monument is of Barre granite, and the work was executed by F. 
 R. Jenkins, of Penn Yan. As erected it stands in the spacious park in 
 front of the Methodist Episcopal Church on Maple Street. On the side of 
 the monument facing the east appears an elegant sculptured design, rep- 
 resenting two army muskets crossed, with bayonets affixed, also a knap- 
 sack, canteen, and the badge of the Second Corps. On the same side is 
 the following inscription : 
 
THE MILITARY HISTORY OF YATES COUNTY. 157 
 
 IN MEMORY OF 
 
 THE SOr^DlERS 
 
 OF THIS VICINITY. 
 
 1861— 1865. 
 
 The names of the deceased soldiers of Benton who are buried else- 
 where than within the limits of the town are inscribed on the north and 
 south sides of the monument as follows : On the north side — Robert 
 Pool, Charles Benedict, 126th N. Y. Vols.; Henry Soles, 179th N. Y. Vols.; 
 Charles E. Chapman, 33d N. Y. Vols.; Charles Kirkham, nth Pa. Cav. 
 On the south side — George B. Alvord, George Feagles, Charles E. Willis, 
 Norman Pettit, 148th N. Y. Vols.; Miles Hodge, Jacob Hodge, L,lewellyu 
 Baxter, 22d Cav., N. Y. Vols. The monument has a rustic base, and is 
 surmounted by a highly finished ball, representing a cannon ball. 
 
 The committee of arrangements, who had the erection of the monu- 
 ment and its dedication in charge, were as follows : Walter W. Becker, 
 John D. Pool, William J. Pool, Elizur Tears, Russell Chapman, James B. 
 McAlpine, Hugh A. Roe, Benjamin Briggs, Rev. O. A. Retan, pastor of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. B. R. Smith, pastor of the Baptist 
 Church; Mrs. Emma Lee, Miss Mary Chapman, and Miss Alice Pool. 
 The decorative committee comprised the following young ladies : Wini- 
 fred Reeves, Mary Lown, Adaline Wright, Jennie Bush, Maud Arnold, 
 Ella Pool, Clara Pool, Flora Watson, Josephine McAlpine, Carrie Soles, 
 Edna Palmatier, and Margaret Lovejoy. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 On Page 9, 34th line, for "south part," read "greater part." 
 
 On Page 12, 35th line, for "Azariah Finch," read "Captain Azariah 
 Finch. 
 
 On Page 13, 9th line, for "Thomas Lee, Jr.," read "Colonel Thomas 
 L,ee, Jr." 
 
 On Page 13, 9th line, for "Sherman L,ee," read "Major Sherman Lee." 
 
 On Page 31, 35th line, for "Tuesday, April 19th," read "Wednesday, 
 April 19th. 
 
 On Page 45, 19th line, for "Henry Reppinger," read "Henry Peppin- 
 ger." 
 
 On Page 133, 29th and 3Sth lines, for "Joseph S. Thayer," read 
 "Joseph J. Thayer."